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Synonyms

last-gasp

British  

noun

  1. (modifier) done in desperation at the last minute

    a last-gasp attempt to save the talks
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
last gasp Idioms  

  1. The moment before death; also, the end. For example, “Fight till the last gasp” (Shakespeare, 1 Henry VI, 1:2), or He was determined to stay at the party until the last gasp. This idiom alludes to taking one's last breath, literally (first example) or figuratively (second example). [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They fought back to 2-2, and although they still lost to a last-gasp Phil Foden goal, that performance transformed them - they've been a different team in recent weeks compared with the way they started the season.

From BBC

Jarrett Allen scored 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for Cleveland, but his last-gasp effort that would have forced overtime was ruled to have left his hand after the buzzer.

From Barron's

Finland eased the heartbreak of their last-gasp semi-final loss by winning the Olympic men's ice hockey bronze medal match 6-1 against Slovakia on Saturday.

From Barron's

IOC president Kirsty Coventry visited Heraskevych and his father in Cortina at 7.30am on the morning of competition, to make a last-gasp plea for him to not wear the helmet.

From BBC

The 32-year-old's last-gasp goal takes Celtic within a point of Rangers - who drew 1-1 at Motherwell - in second and closer to Hearts, while O'Neill's side carry that game in hand over both.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.