1
as in try
an effort to do or accomplish something
it took several attempts before we made good ice cream with an old-fashioned hand-cranked ice cream freezer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
several attempts on the life of the country's chief drug enforcement official
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to try
to make an effort to do
after attempting—and failing—to start the lawn mower on my own, I finally succeeded with a neighbor's help don't even attempt walking on your broken foot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of attempt
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Even its occasional attempts at campy tongue-in-cheekiness seldom raise more than a titter.
—
Arthur Knight,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
Dejanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
Security shut the gates into Hard Rock Stadium after crowds surged in, and law enforcement attempted to chase down fans who entered without tickets.
—
Amaia Gavica,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for attempt
Noun
Indigenous groups protested the last time Mount Rushmore hosted a fireworks display, and former President Joe Biden's administration rejected subsequent attempts to have fireworks at the national monument.
—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
Even its occasional attempts at campy tongue-in-cheekiness seldom raise more than a titter.
—
Arthur Knight,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
Verb
Prosecutors say bond agents attempted to take Hildreth into custodyfor failing to comply with the conditions of his bond.
—
Dejanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
Security shut the gates into Hard Rock Stadium after crowds surged in, and law enforcement attempted to chase down fans who entered without tickets.
—
Amaia Gavica,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for attempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempt
Noun
-
After stealing 16 bases in 19 tries in ‘24, Merrill was 1-for-3 in steal attempts in his first 44 games last season.
-
The Hurricanes scored 113 tries in 17 matches in 2026 and finished as the first team in Super Rugby's 30-year history to score more than 100 tries in a season.
Noun
-
One of the dogs involved in the attack was later found in Los Angeles County and seized.
-
Two people were killed and seven others injured in Russian attacks on the northeastern Kharkiv region over the previous 24 hours, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said Friday.
Verb
-
Born in Brooklyn, NY, on April 4, 1932, Davis was a striving student who attended New York University on a full scholarship, and graduated magna cum laude.
-
Nolan seems to be striving for geographic realism interspersed with violent and fantastic episodes.
Noun
-
Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said an examination found no evidence of traumatic injury, including bruising, lacerations, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, blunt force trauma, strangulation or other external injuries.
-
This question stabs at the heart of the culture war that is currently raging in America.
Noun
-
According to Holtz, Whittingham was charged with murder, first-degree assault, first-degree assault on an elderly person and home invasion.
-
Atanas Hristev, 44, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon late last month, according to court records.
Noun
-
Thursday’s raid was a part of the NYPD’s ongoing efforts to crack down on the city’s trade in bootleg merchandise, and follows five raids targeting vendors in Lower Manhattan between May 20 and June 12, cops said.
-
Barely six months ago, US special forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from Caracas in a daring and deadly raid.
Noun
-
Tech companies have turned on the charm offensive in a bid to turn the tide.
-
At the heart of the battle will be Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and his fleet, fighting to repel the offensive led by Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) and the forces of the Triarchy.
Noun
-
Kim previously hailed the development of the Choe Hyon as a major step toward expanding the operational reach and preemptive strike capabilities of North Korea's military.
-
After Abbosbek Fayzullaev won the ball back for Uzbekistan near the top of the box, Azizjon Ganiev unleashed an incredible strike that briefly made this a 2-1 game.
Cite this Entry
“Attempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempt. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
