How to Use last rites in a Sentence

last rites

noun
  • The priest had already been there to read Brase his last rites.
    — Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Apr. 2021
  • Fifth sprang to life a month ago, but only to perform last rites.
    — James Lileks, Star Tribune, 25 June 2021
  • This term, even the process of giving last rites has raised tempers.
    — Richard Wolf, USA TODAY, 9 June 2019
  • Stained with ochre, the stone implements were part of her last rites.
    — Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Not quite — but last rites were being prepared.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The priest came on a Tuesday evening, to give Deus the last rites.
    — Eric Boodman, STAT, 30 June 2020
  • The two discuss last rites and summer tanagers.
    — Grace Byron, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
  • At one point, a priest came to give them last rites, frightening Klare’s friend.
    — Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 27 Sep. 2022
  • There is talk in the town of a new club, a phoenix team, arising once old Bury’s last rites are read.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2019
  • The steakhouse owner was given a 5% chance of survival and was read his last rites.
    — Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 4 Jan. 2023
  • By the time Lux ends, Rosalía is on her literal last rites.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Her focus isn't on last rites, but more on supporting those creating new life.
    — Star Tribune, 5 Dec. 2020
  • Carlos Alcaraz has been reading its last rites for the better part of the last five years.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Her son Anand Bhosle added that her last rites will be performed Monday.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2026
  • All that remained was for the reporters and anchors to trek out to Wyoming and perform last rites.
    — Howard Kurtz, Fox News, 18 Aug. 2022
  • Most of the role is him as a corpse, and camera angles keep his face mostly hidden all the way through the last rites scene.
    — Ed Symkus, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Mar. 2018
  • Follis was given her last rites twice, and her family was told to gather to say goodbye.
    — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2018
  • The doctors, in need of a miracle, installed a pacemaker and called a priest to give the child last rites.
    — Chicago Tribune, 22 Sep. 2022
  • Joe and Shina received the final Catholic sacraments of last rites from a priest.
    — Ethan May, The Indianapolis Star, 16 June 2020
  • One of the caregivers had brought in his iPad, and a Catholic priest delivered his last rites from miles away.
    — Ryan Kost, SFChronicle.com, 22 Apr. 2020
  • Days after that, Apfel heard Cement Head had gotten last rites.
    — STAT, 14 Apr. 2021
  • If a club overextends itself to the point of bankruptcy, then there is a time when the financial last rites have to be read.
    — Jonathan Wilson, SI.com, 27 Aug. 2019
  • He was given the last rites by a local priest and was only saved by the first penicillin shipments that reached Italy.
    — Reagan Alexander, PEOPLE.com, 13 June 2019
  • Her son, Anand Bhosle, told reporters that her last rites will be performed on Monday.
    — ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Ford's rival, General Motors, isn't ready to call for last rites.
    — Eric D. Lawrence, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2018
  • Ryan said his condition turned critical, prompting a priest to be called to his bedside to perform last rites.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
  • Nearly everywhere, the bereaved have put up with rip-off last rites because of the lack of better options.
    — The Economist, 12 Apr. 2018
  • Amazon must scale a mountain before last rites are given to the grocery industry.
    — Sun-Sentinel.com, 2 Sep. 2017
  • In the Catholic faith, the last rites are a sacrament preparing a person to enter heaven.
    — Star Tribune, 5 Dec. 2020
  • He’s been given career last rites a couple of other times in recent years and has managed to bounce back stronger than ever.
    — Paul Domowitch, Philly.com, 30 May 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'last rites.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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