From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbe clutching at strawsbe clutching at strawsespecially British English to be trying everything possible to find a solution or hope in a difficult situation, even though it will probably be unsuccessful I knew that trying the alternative medicine was just clutching at straws. → clutch
Examples from the Corpus
be clutching at straws• Green ponds should not be a problem now, but come next summer, you may be clutching at straws. 