Turned to something as an option, especially when other options have failed. Went frequently to a particular place or adopted a particular strategy.
From Old French 'resortir' meaning 'to go back to' or 'to have recourse to', from Latin 're-' (back) and 'sortiri' (to draw lots, to allot). Originally meant returning to a place, later extending to mean falling back on options.
We 'resort' to desperate measures because the word originally meant going back to a place of refuge - like a resort town where people retreated for safety or pleasure. The connection between vacation resorts and last resorts shows how language preserves the idea of seeking sanctuary.
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