rearguard action
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.53 in modern English
19
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
3
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A desperate attempt to forestall the inevitable.
Example Sentences
- "to fight a rearguard action"
- "The New English came to control Ireland — their ultimate expression was the powerful ascendancy which enjoyed exclusive political power in the country for more than a century, and which fought a dogged rearguard action against diminution of its power during the nineteenth century."