resort to
phrasal verb
resorted to; resorting to; resorts to
: to do or use (something) especially because no other choices are possible
He had to resort to asking his parents for money.
Examples of resort to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the absence of cooking gas, nearly two-thirds of households have resorted to burning waste to cook meals, according to the UN.
—
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
Miranda, then 27, began replying to father Ken's usual check-in messages with subtle hints but resorted to sending him a photo from the hospital when the penny dropped.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
About 30% resort to password sharing of some kind to increase access to other streaming platforms.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
Knightley and Pearce coast and their characters never come alive and resort to doing silly things at this misfire’s absurd, regrettable finale.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for resort to
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kara Fox, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
Miranda, then 27, began replying to father Ken's usual check-in messages with subtle hints but resorted to sending him a photo from the hospital when the penny dropped.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
About 30% resort to password sharing of some kind to increase access to other streaming platforms.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025
Knightley and Pearce coast and their characters never come alive and resort to doing silly things at this misfire’s absurd, regrettable finale.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for resort to
Cite this Entry
“Resort to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resort%20to. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share