to no avail

idiom

: without success
They tried to discuss the issue calmly, but to no avail.

Examples of to no avail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Democrats have been working for weeks to try to find concessions from Republicans on healthcare to no avail. Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2025 Bondi’s response was characteristically bristling and evasive; Whitehouse asked about the money seven times, to no avail. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 Zibanejad, Fox and others pleaded their case to no avail. Peter Baugh, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025 Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas tried to fight their feelings for each other after sparks flew on the set of 1995's Two Much, to no avail. Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for to no avail

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Cite this Entry

“To no avail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%20no%20avail. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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