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.

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

The season is far from a lost cause.

From BBC • Nov. 6, 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 with no reason to suppose we’d ever see our guardians again, and with so many students moving on, it soon began to feel like a lost cause.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro