expression, godan verb (-ru)
grasp at straws; resort to desperate measures
Idiomatic expression meaning to cling to even the slightest hope or unreliable means when in a desperate situation. Non-standard variant of 藁にもすがる, but essentially the same meaning.
See also: 藁にもすがる
He jumped at the dubious investment opportunity, grasping at straws.
藁をもすがる気持ちで、最後の手段としてその医者を訪ねた。
Feeling like I was grasping at straws, I visited that doctor as a last resort.