attempt 1 of 2

attempt

2 of 2

verb

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb attempt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of attempt are endeavor, essay, strive, and try. While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

When is it sensible to use endeavor instead of attempt?

The words endeavor and attempt can be used in similar contexts, but endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

When could essay be used to replace attempt?

While in some cases nearly identical to attempt, essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

When might strive be a better fit than attempt?

The meanings of strive and attempt largely overlap; however, strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

continues to strive for peace

How do try and attempt relate to one another?

Try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

tried to determine which was the better procedure

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
Noun
The issue has fueled years of tension, including lawsuits and several unsuccessful attempts to establish clear rules. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025 On Monday, Pfizer filed a second lawsuit against the companies, alleging that Novo Nordisk's attempt to outbid Pfizer to acquire Metsera is anticompetitive. Annika Kim Constantino,bertha Coombs, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
Instead, watching Charles attempt to insert himself into the Garfield Administration by forging papers and sneaking into buildings feels repetitive and a bit dull. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025 The omnipresent threat of drones could complicate any Ukrainian retreat effort, which would likely see Kyiv's troops attempt to break out to the west of the city using its under-fire supply routes. David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for attempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempt
Noun
  • Must-try metro Phoenix restaurants Amid a wave of new restaurant openings, put an unusual Phoenix chicken joint, Scottsdale fine dining and Chandler supper club on your try-first list.
    Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Trailing by 11 in the final seconds of the first half, the Chiefs faced fourth-and-goal from the 1, a spot in which Andy Reid should have left the offense on the field for one more try.
    Sam McDowell November 4, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • All three nuclear powers have established their own nuclear triad, consisting of ICBMs, submarines armed with ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable aircraft, which ensure their forces can survive a first strike and retaliate, thereby deterring a nuclear attack.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • But in the final weeks of the race, both campaigns traded personal attacks.
    Joe Hernandez, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Let’s strive for greater together.
    Essence, Essence, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The development comes as Netflix strives to become more competitive with its peers in the battle to win ad dollars from Madison Avenue.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • His head was swollen to twice its size, he’d been badly beaten and bruised, and there were two holes in his chest that could have been bullet or stab wounds.
    Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Schroeder suffered multiple stab wounds and lacerations and died four days later, police said.
    Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Other times, the mob leaned on more traditional crime tactics — robbery, extortion and assault, including a punch to one victim’s face — to force the card players to pay.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • He was sentenced to 17 years for armed kidnapping and 17 years for armed burglary with assault or battery.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Another 564 Israelis were killed in raids carried out by Palestinians coming from the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria in the same period.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • These assets enable amphibious assaults, precision raids, and rapid response operations across the Caribbean theater.
    Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The campaign began with an air offensive in January 1991, followed by a swift ground assault that expelled Iraqi forces within 100 hours.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Determined to stop the anti-imperial policies of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, British and French representatives met with Israeli officials in October 1956 to forge a secret agreement for a coordinated offensive against Egypt.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The strikes ended when the WGA reached an agreement with the AMPTP in September 2023, followed by SAG-AFTRA that November.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Still harder to prove, Jackson said, are the counts of assault on a peace officer stemming from the laser strikes, arguing that Farzam would not or could not have known what kind of aircraft was flying at the time.
    Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Attempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempt. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on attempt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!