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
Senate Democrats slammed Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz and others for discussing details about missile strikes on a commercially available app and failing to take pains to ensure the identities of the individuals on the chat.
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Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
These days, Chief Justice Roberts said in 2019, the justices have to take pains to applaud only very occasionally.
—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2025
The staff take pains to explain that exposure to the water should be limited to small doses.
—Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
Given the game’s importance, the schools take pains to lock in revenue streams years ahead.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for take (great) pains
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Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
These days, Chief Justice Roberts said in 2019, the justices have to take pains to applaud only very occasionally.
—Adam Liptak, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2025
The staff take pains to explain that exposure to the water should be limited to small doses.
—Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
Given the game’s importance, the schools take pains to lock in revenue streams years ahead.
—Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for 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 25 May. 2025.
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