a day late and a dollar short (noun)

1. In the comic strip, the hero arrives a day late and a dollar short and the villain has already escaped.

2. The protagonist's attempt to save the day with his last-minute plan was a day late and a dollar short.

3. The artist's attempt to finish the painting before the deadline was a day late and a dollar short, and it wasn't accepted into the exhibition.

4. As the victim desperately tried to lock the door, the killer's attack came, leaving them a day late and a dollar short.