last-ditch

1 of 2

adjective

ˈlas(t)-ˌdich 

-ˈdich

1

: fought or conducted from the last ditch : waged with desperation or unyielding defiance

put up a last-ditch resistance

2

: made as a final effort especially to avert disaster

a last-ditch attempt to raise the money

last ditch

2 of 2

noun

: a place of final defense or resort

Examples of last-ditch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As the bidders waited for the verdict, some community members made a last-ditch effort to stop the projects from moving forward. —Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

So, this might be a big smokescreen, these investigations, to open a bunch of them to -- as a last-ditch effort to prevent the release of the Epstein files. —ABC News, 16 Nov. 2025

Noun

Forget the flimsy strips of aluminum around the edges of the pie as a last ditch effort. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2025

The site was created by Danny Lakey, who helped organize the incorporation effort as a last ditch effort to fight noise pollution from MARA and pollution from nearby power plants. —Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1706, in the meaning defined above