take (great) pains
idiom
: to try hard (to do something)
He took (great) pains to explain the situation to us.
Examples of take (great) pains in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Netto and Schindler take pains to point out the irony of Iris’ predicament: Iris has emerged from the emotionally catatonic state that she’s been in since the day of her son’s accident… just to wind up in a physically catatonic state at the site of her son’s accident.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
Many countries now take great pains to account for their missing.
—Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
That said, if Russia is on the road to postimperial rule, the AASC would take pains not to exclude the country’s new leadership or to reopen old wounds.
—Lise Morjé Howard, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2023
And, when the Vandals are together in public, the police take pains to stay out of their way.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for take (great) pains 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024
Many countries now take great pains to account for their missing.
—Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
That said, if Russia is on the road to postimperial rule, the AASC would take pains not to exclude the country’s new leadership or to reopen old wounds.
—Lise Morjé Howard, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2023
And, when the Vandals are together in public, the police take pains to stay out of their way.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for take (great) pains
Dictionary Entries Near take (great) pains
Cite this Entry
“Take (great) pains.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20%28great%29%20pains. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share