desperate measures

Extreme and undesirable actions taken as a solution to a problem that cannot be resolved by ordinary means. With his job gone and debt mounting, John was forced to take desperate measures to keep his home. Samantha Hornsby stars as Mary, a woman driven to desperate measures to protect her daughter from the mob. Yeah, I resorted to desperate measures to make sure I didn't fail the class—I cheated on the exam. But, if I hadn't, I would have had to repeat sophomore year!