0 an effort or attempt that is made at the end of a series of failures to solve a problem, and is not expected to succeed:
1 happening or tried at the final opportunity, before it is too late:
2 used to describe an act that is made at the end of a series of failures to solve a problem, and is not expected to succeed:
Moderation is only a last-ditch response to electoral panic.
It is only in the 1990s that we see communities and linguists in a last-ditch effort to save these disappearing languages-whatever "save" means to the various proponents.
This is our last-ditch attempt to put labels and pictures on cigarette packs which reflect the true cost of smoking.
I think that they trust us to defend their rights, and do not consider it necessary to be present at this last-ditch battle.
The contention that many of these last-ditch tenders were approved against officers' advice has not been challenged.
This is primarily because this has been a last-ditch policy.
It has been called the last-ditch stand and the last post.
This sounds like the last-ditch stand of the "may" brigade; the power as opposed to duty brigade.