How to Use the last minute in a Sentence

the last minute

noun
  • Turnout was nil, and several events were canceled at the last minute.
    — Nick Tabor, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Feb. 2023
  • While he was supposed to just play the guitar for the band, Boone ended up singing when the group's singer dropped out at the last minute.
    — Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2023
  • But be aware that making a habit of waiting until the last minute is likely to hurt your investment returns over the long haul.
    — Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2023
  • However, at the last minute, it was revealed that Gaga would indeed perform at the ceremony.
    — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 12 Mar. 2023
  • But the rail operator had pulled out of the meeting at the last minute, expressing concern for the safety of its employees.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2023
  • The Rams responded with a 6-0 run over the next two minutes and never allowed the advantage to dip below four points in the last minute.
    — Evan Dudley, al, 23 Feb. 2023
  • Both parties had come close to an agreement that would’ve allowed De La fans to stream their most celebrated work, but the plug, so to speak, was pulled at the last minute.
    — Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 6 Mar. 2023
  • But with any employer-employee situation, things can happen accidentally or at the last minute that throw a wrench in an employee’s work day.
    — Alice Wong, CNN, 22 Feb. 2023
  • At the last minute, Carroll Shelby flew to Japan and charmed Toyota execs into giving him the contract instead.
    — Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 24 Feb. 2023
  • Big mistakes are common—from leaving decisions to the last minute and failing to update documents to mismatching beneficiary designations.
    — Cheryl Winokur Munk, WSJ, 16 Feb. 2023
  • The launch of the Crew-6 had been planned for Monday, February 27th, but was called off at the last minute due to an issue with the rocket propellant ignition fluid.
    — Georgina Torbet, The Verge, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Norfolk Southern Railway, the company responsible for the derailment, pulled out of the meeting at the last minute, expressing concern for the safety of its employees.
    — The Enquirer, 19 Feb. 2023
  • But at the last minute, the Russian government pulled the rug out from under United Shipbuilding Corporation, funding only half of the original $866 million budget.
    — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 28 Feb. 2023

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

Last Updated: