effort
noun
-ˌfȯrt \
Definition of effort
1 : conscious exertion of power : hard work a job requiring time and effort
2 : a serious attempt : try making an effort to reduce costs
3 : something produced by exertion or trying the novel was her most ambitious effort
4 : effective force as distinguished from the possible resistance called into action by such a force
5 : the total work done to achieve a particular end the war effort
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Synonyms for effort
Synonyms
elbow grease, exertion, expenditure, labor, pains, sweat, trouble, while, work
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Examples of effort in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In general, the Trump administration’s, or Trump’s, efforts are very disingenuous, because European countries already agreed in 2014 to start increasing their military spending. — Heather Souvaine Horn, The New Republic, "Is It Fair for Trump to Bash NATO Over Military Spending?," 12 July 2018 Noah Karvelis, one of the leaders of Arizona Educators United, said that effort came from teachers realizing that the Legislature adjourned without meeting the demands laid out ahead of the April walkout. — Richard Ruelas, azcentral, "Arizona elections: #RedForEd, public education issues make way onto November ballot," 12 July 2018 In Oregon, Klan efforts were almost exclusively anti-Catholic, mentioning Jews only occasionally. — Longreads, "Oregon’s Racist Past," 12 July 2018 Under President Donald Trump, Washington has largely given up that effort. — Brad Heath, USA TODAY, "Baltimore police stopped noticing crime after Freddie Gray's death. A wave of killings followed.," 12 July 2018 That effort was scrapped in November when an adult female vaquita died after a few hours in captivity. — Louis Sahagun, latimes.com, "To save the world's rarest marine mammal, conservationists seek ban on Mexican seafood imports," 11 July 2018 An effort is underway to replace the classroom materials. — Ramona Sentinel, "Vandals ransack classrooms at James Dukes Elementary School," 11 July 2018 However, Croatia's best efforts to grab an equaliser were seemingly all quelled by Harry Maguire, who channeled his inner...monster truck (?)... — SI.com, "'Super Mario': Twitter Reacts as the Three Lions Are Sent Home By Mario Mandzukic," 11 July 2018 That effort ultimately failed, and Elian Gonzalez was repatriated in April 2000. — Wayne K. Roustan, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has worked on high-profile South Florida cases," 10 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'effort.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for effort
effort
noun
English Language Learners Definition of effort
: work done by the mind or body : energy used to do something
: a serious attempt to do something
: something produced by work
See the full definition for effort in the English Language Learners Dictionary
effort
noun
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