lost cause

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.

Tim Seifert whacked 52 from 26 balls but around him New Zealand lost regular wickets in pursuit of a lost cause, including Finn Allen, the Black Caps' semi-final centurion, for nine in the third over.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

As John Steinbeck assured Jackie Kennedy in 1964: “You talked of Scotland as a lost cause and that is not true. Scotland is an unwon cause.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

If you were considered a lost cause, how were you able to make such a surprising comeback?

From Slate • Nov. 19, 2025

Red Bull's Verstappen has turned a seemingly lost cause into a thrilling late, if unexpected, charge for a fifth title.

From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025

But among them, his former pupils, excited by the high-sounding proclamations, the determination reigned to sacrifice their skins for a lost cause.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez