resorting

Resorting is the act of turning to a resource, tactic, or course of action that is used as a final option or fallback. It is applied in a variety of contexts, from strategy and policy to everyday problem solving. The verb form “to resort” typically takes the preposition “to” to indicate the option being employed, as in “they resorted to sanctions” or “people may resort to prayer in difficult times.” The expression “as a last resort” emphasizes that no better alternatives remain.

In linguistic and practical usage, resorting to something often carries a sense of necessity or urgency. It can describe switching to an available but less preferred method when usual approaches fail. The construction is common in legal, political, and social discourse, where authorities might resort to emergency powers or a state of exception, for example.

A secondary sense of resort relates to vacation and leisure. A resort is a place designed for relaxation and recreation, such as a seaside or mountain resort. The gerund form “resorting” can describe the act of going to such a place for rest or recreation, as in “the family is resorting to a resort for their vacation.” In this tourism sense, the noun resort remains distinct from the verb sense, though the underlying idea involves turning to a place for relief or enjoyment.

See also: last resort, resort (vacation destination).