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grasping at straws |
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grasping at straws Fig. to depend on something that is useless; to make a futile attempt at something. John couldn't answer the teacher's question. He was just grasping at straws. There I was, grasping at straws, with no one to help me. See also: straw grasping at straws also clutching at straws 1. trying to find some way to succeed when nothing you choose is likely to work Jerry, grasping at straws, searched the backup tapes from last week, looking for the missing files. 2. trying to find reasons to feel hopeful about a bad situation She thinks he might still be interested because he calls her now and then but I think she's clutching at straws. See also: straw How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Clutching at straws, he considers possible reasons for his predicament. They were clutching at straws," Crosby says, recalling that day in 1982 when officers handed him samples of pot from a 188-kilogram marijuana bust -- then the largest in New Zealand's history. |
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