as in trying
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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Recent Examples of attempting
Drawing at least in part on information from Chalker’s defectors, the Pentagon constructed life-size underground facsimiles of Iranian nuclear facilities where the scientists had worked, attempting to duplicate even the thickness of the walls.
—
David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Much of the attack was captured on 911 calls made by the relatives, who were attempting to stop Valdez and treat the 83-year-old man’s injuries simultaneously.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
The massive crash that upended the race occurred on Lap 22, when Haas driver Ollie Bearman was closing in rapidly on Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and attempting an overtake.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
Officials have identified the pedestrian who was killed in February after he was hit by an 18-wheeler while attempting to cross a freeway in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
Iranian threats against ships have kept most oil tankers from attempting the waterway.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The Space Marines are attempting to reclaim Kronus from the filthy xenos on the planet, leading a heroic charge into a massive Ork army as the Necrons rise again.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Another suspect was across the street, who appeared to be attempting to film with his phone.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
The only win came against the Utah Jazz, another team that’s attempting to position itself for the lottery more than the playoffs.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Much of the attack was captured on 911 calls made by the relatives, who were attempting to stop Valdez and treat the 83-year-old man’s injuries simultaneously.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
The massive crash that upended the race occurred on Lap 22, when Haas driver Ollie Bearman was closing in rapidly on Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and attempting an overtake.
—Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
Officials have identified the pedestrian who was killed in February after he was hit by an 18-wheeler while attempting to cross a freeway in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
Iranian threats against ships have kept most oil tankers from attempting the waterway.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
The Space Marines are attempting to reclaim Kronus from the filthy xenos on the planet, leading a heroic charge into a massive Ork army as the Necrons rise again.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Another suspect was across the street, who appeared to be attempting to film with his phone.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
The only win came against the Utah Jazz, another team that’s attempting to position itself for the lottery more than the playoffs.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempting
Verb
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Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Wolfe countered that his client was merely trying to settle the case.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There are the striving, dysfunctional parents, and the politically calculating peers.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
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Through the Daodejing, one of the central texts of Daoism, Laozi offers perspectives from a tumultuous period of status-striving in Chinese history – and shifts our focus from comparison and competition to contentment.—
Stephen Chen,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempting. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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