have the last laugh
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
Holding a rolling pin and determined to have the last laugh.
Looking out over the Brussels skyline, it occurs to me that Carter may well not have that many more opportunities to have the last laugh on a scale like this.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “have the last laugh” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “have the last laugh” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.