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
Claude's responses to these prompts are farmed en masse either for direct training of the Chinese models or for a process known as reinforcement learning, a data-intensive approach in which AI models learn decision-making through trial and error in the absence of human guidance.
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Matthew Chin, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
Students garden, keep bees, and care for animals, learning through trial and error as much as through success.
—Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
That wasn’t the only trial and error.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
With no formal engineering background, Richardson began collecting information online, perusing old manuals, learning through trial and error.
—Oliver Wang, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
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Matthew Chin, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
Students garden, keep bees, and care for animals, learning through trial and error as much as through success.
—Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
That wasn’t the only trial and error.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
With no formal engineering background, Richardson began collecting information online, perusing old manuals, learning through trial and error.
—Oliver Wang, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 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 27 Feb. 2026.
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