attempted
adjective
at·tempt·ed
ə-ˈtem(p)-təd 
: having been tried without success
an attempted suicide
an attempted takeover
especially, law
: characterized by an intent to commit and effort taken to commit a specified crime that fails or is prevented
an attempted robbery
was charged with attempted murder
Examples of attempted in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An attempted Fashion District heist in May 2024 left one man dead and created a mystery for police.
—
Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
But nothing can prepare us for the horrific chaos of the attempted murder, with audience members, security and medics mobbing the stage to halt the attack and urgently tend to the victim.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
Protesters were further incensed on Wednesday evening when ICE agents in Minneapolis shot a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg during an attempted arrest.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026
Ross, a 10-year law enforcement veteran with ICE, was seriously injured in June in a separate incident in the Minneapolis area when he was dragged by a car during an attempted arrest, requiring 33 stitches and hospital care, court records show.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attempted
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Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
But nothing can prepare us for the horrific chaos of the attempted murder, with audience members, security and medics mobbing the stage to halt the attack and urgently tend to the victim.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
Protesters were further incensed on Wednesday evening when ICE agents in Minneapolis shot a Venezuelan immigrant in the leg during an attempted arrest.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 15 Jan. 2026
Ross, a 10-year law enforcement veteran with ICE, was seriously injured in June in a separate incident in the Minneapolis area when he was dragged by a car during an attempted arrest, requiring 33 stitches and hospital care, court records show.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attempted
Cite this Entry
“Attempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attempted. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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