How to Use in vain in a Sentence

in vain

phrase

• Even so, some readers will search in vain for a favorite singer or rapper.
  — John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 2 Aug. 2026
• For hours every day, the husky, howling piteously, would try in vain to leap the walls of his prison.
  — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
• The Americans, who had the lead when the buzzer sounded the first time, protest in vain.
  — Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2024
• The scar above the bridge of Calvin Throckmorton’s nose will not have formed in vain.
  — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 2026
• Doesn't the drone have cameras or sensors to detect when someone is trying in vain to retrieve the payload?
  — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
• But this has a different texture, in large part because of the four decades the 76ers have toiled, in vain, to win it all again.
  — David Aldridge, New York Times, 25 July 2026
• Initially, Gordon’s attempts to get Edwards back on board were in vain.
  — James Pearce, New York Times, 11 July 2026
• Dehydration can happen quickly as sweating continues in vain.
  — Victoria Forster, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
• But all of the effort is ultimately in vain, as every worker wasp will eventually perish from starvation or cold weather.
  — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026
• Llínas and his wife, actress Laura Peredas, circle a neighborhood in vain looking for a statue while being pestered by their children.
  — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
• Indeed, for much of the past century, psychologists, crime experts, and others have searched in vain for an infallible lie detector.
  — IEEE Spectrum, 31 July 2019
• Filipino fans formed unmoving lines, hoping in vain to squeeze into the ludicrously limited capacity of Court 6 just to catch a glimpse of her main draw debut.
  — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
• For that reason, the Polish government requested Wolińska-Brus’s extradition from Britain, though in vain.
  — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
• Faculty and administrators are policing the classroom for AI, largely in vain, while also using AI liberally in their own work.
  — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026
• As Liverpool battled in vain to find a late winner against Forest, Gakpo was as animated as anyone on the touchline after Rio Ngumoha came off the bench to replace him.
  — James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
• The opposition’s dilemma is exemplified by one of its most prominent leaders, Nobel Peace laureate María Corina Machado, who has tried in vain to enter Venezuela since the earthquakes.
  — Mauricio Torres, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
• Jude Bellingham’s two goals on Saturday in England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal matchup against Norway were certainly not in vain.
  — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
• The announcement came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Balochistan's capital, Quetta, and told the families of 42 people killed in the attacks that their sacrifices were not in vain and those responsible would be brought to justice.
  — ABC News, 10 July 2026