1
as in try
an effort to do or accomplish something
it took several attempts before we made good ice cream with an old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream freezer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
several attempts on the life of the country's chief drug enforcement official
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to try
to make an effort to do
after attempting—and failing—to start the lawn mower on my own, I finally succeeded with a neighbor's help don't even attempt walking on your broken foot
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attempt
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025
Germany’s new chancellor announced $52 billion in corporate tax breaks in an attempt to revive the country’s flagging economy.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
Its premise centers on a group of young men who attempt to use magic to raise the spirit of their dead friend.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for attempt
Noun
After their introduction in the mid-1800s in an attempt to establish a fur trade, possums have spiraled out of control, taking up habitat and spreading disease to the creatures that call Aotearoa, or New Zealand, home.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025
Germany’s new chancellor announced $52 billion in corporate tax breaks in an attempt to revive the country’s flagging economy.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
The Star attempted to speak with each candidate ahead of the deadline in an effort to introduce them to residents and voters.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
Its premise centers on a group of young men who attempt to use magic to raise the spirit of their dead friend.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for attempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempt
Noun
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At the time, Buffett had just moved to Key West from Nashville after giving country music a try and had recently divorced his first wife, Margie Washichek.—
Jessica Booth,
People.com,
5 June 2025
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The loss represented the first time the USWNT had lost two times in three tries since its three-game losing streak to England, Spain, and Germany back in 2022.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
Noun
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Try supplements: Certain supplements, such as Riboflavin and CoQ10, can help reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.—
Verywell Health,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2025
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The new targets are assigned by NATO based on a blueprint agreed upon in 2023 — the military organization’s biggest planning shakeup since the Cold War — to defend its territory from an attack by Russia or another major adversary.—
Lorne Cook,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
Verb
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The album’s 11 tracks don’t strive to be confessional, just open.—
Janine Schaults,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
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This leads them to strive to inspire others, creating a virtuous cycle that perpetually increases engagement, a sense of purpose, and more.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
3 June 2025
Noun
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In 2011, Russ Faria came home to find his wife, Betsy Faria, dead with approximately 55 stab wounds and a knife in her neck, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said in a probable cause statement.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
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Peterson suffered a single stab wound to her chest, according to the district attorney's office.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Noun
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When Pride Month began The monthlong global celebration began with Gay Pride Week in late June 1970, a year after the violent police raid at New York’s Stonewall Inn, a gay bar.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
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Earlier in the year, CBP agents conducted a three-day raid in rural parts of Kern County targeting day laborers and Latino farmworkers.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
Noun
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The racing movie arrives in theaters this summer after a longer-than-expected production that got shut down for an entire year amid the Hollywood strikes.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
28 May 2025
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But the rebuilding effort is taking place under the cover of increasing RSF drone strikes over the past month.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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Warm ocean water in these areas can cause storms to rapidly intensify right before landfall, giving communities less time to prepare for the onslaught.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
30 May 2025
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The chaos the president’s tariff onslaught caused in the U.S. Treasury market quickly spread to Japan, boosting yields.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempt. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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