last resort

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.

These factors, and others, convinced the judge that he could not detain the boys because the guidelines for sentencing children say that custody is a "last resort", with the priority being rehabilitation.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The policy paper also endorsed substantially shrinking the Fed’s $6.7 trillion asset portfolio and limiting the central bank’s role as a lender of last resort in financial crises.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

In a statement the CBA said its positions has "remained consistent" during the withdrawal of services and the action was taken as "a regrettable last resort".

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Officials last year announced enforcement action against the California Fair Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, for allegedly “systematically denying and limiting smoke damage claims from wildfire survivors.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

However, regular dog eating has been a last resort of meat-deprived human societies: the Aztecs had no other domestic mammal, and the Polynesians and ancient Chinese had only pigs and dogs.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond