trial and error
noun
: a finding out of the best way to reach a desired result or a correct solution by trying out one or more ways or means and by noting and eliminating errors or causes of failure
also
: the trying of one thing or another until something succeeds
Examples of trial and error in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But to become Nike, there were years' worth of trial and error.
—
Hannarose McGuinness, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
To get there, though, will require some trial and error, and Simmons has helped Kohl embrace this progress.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
While the game lets players learn through incremental trial and error, our coverage of Artemis II breaks down how NASA sent humans swooping around the moon, and how the agency plans to eventually settle the lunar surface.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Every bit of it was on the fly, pure trial and error.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trial and error
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Hannarose McGuinness, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
To get there, though, will require some trial and error, and Simmons has helped Kohl embrace this progress.
—Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
While the game lets players learn through incremental trial and error, our coverage of Artemis II breaks down how NASA sent humans swooping around the moon, and how the agency plans to eventually settle the lunar surface.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Every bit of it was on the fly, pure trial and error.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trial and error
Cite this Entry
“Trial and error.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trial%20and%20error. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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