last-ditch effort

1. A desperate final attempt, as in We're making a last-ditch effort to finish on time. This expression alludes to the military sense of last ditch, “the last line of defense.” Its figurative use dates from the early 1800s.

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, Routh’s defense filed a last-ditch effort to have the final two firearm charges against him dropped under a Second Amendment claim.

From Salon

But it's become much more common in recent decades, in a last-ditch effort to save populations of black and white rhinos in South Africa and surrounding countries, where poaching threatens their survival.

From Salon

Was this a bid for regional relevance, a provocation timed with regional shifts, or a last-ditch effort to break a long-standing siege?

From BBC

Sweetser: So basically, you know, to put things bluntly, that was like a last-ditch effort, really, to try to stop the direction the GOP was going.

From Salon

The group’s last-ditch effort to reach homeowners is a letter.

From Los Angeles Times