as in trying
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
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Recent Examples of attempting
With a hundred and forty-one residential projects in development and twenty thousand new residents projected for the neighborhood by 2035, the city is attempting to reproduce the idea at building scale.
—
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Williams gave up a leadoff single to Chapman — who was thrown out attempting to steal second — but then gave up only a harmless single to Heliot Ramos before closing it out.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2026
Now, for the first time, baseball is attempting to standardize its strike zone.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
But in a statement released two days after the incident, the department said the officer was attempting to handcuff the teen.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Old dog learns new tricks UConn forward Alex Karaban, who played on the 2023 and ’24 champions, is attempting to become the first non-UCLA player to win three national championships.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
This was an act of battery against a homeowner attempting to protect his property.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Lawmakers spent the session, which ended Thursday evening, attempting to carve out millions of dollars in cuts after slashing $450 million in revenue the year before, mostly in tax cuts, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026
Officials have identified the pedestrian who was killed in February after he was hit by an 18-wheeler while attempting to cross a freeway in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Williams gave up a leadoff single to Chapman — who was thrown out attempting to steal second — but then gave up only a harmless single to Heliot Ramos before closing it out.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 5 Apr. 2026
Now, for the first time, baseball is attempting to standardize its strike zone.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
But in a statement released two days after the incident, the department said the officer was attempting to handcuff the teen.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Old dog learns new tricks UConn forward Alex Karaban, who played on the 2023 and ’24 champions, is attempting to become the first non-UCLA player to win three national championships.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
This was an act of battery against a homeowner attempting to protect his property.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Lawmakers spent the session, which ended Thursday evening, attempting to carve out millions of dollars in cuts after slashing $450 million in revenue the year before, mostly in tax cuts, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2026
Officials have identified the pedestrian who was killed in February after he was hit by an 18-wheeler while attempting to cross a freeway in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood.
—Timia Cobb
breaking News Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempting
Verb
-
With high-scoring teammate Leon Draisaitl possibly returning from injury for the start of the postseason, the Oilers are trying to get back into top form in time to make another deep run.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Administration officials labeled Good and Pretti domestic terrorists and said Good, who was also behind the wheel of her car when shot, was trying to run officers over.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As is often true of an Allbee play, cracks in the veneer open into chasms of striving, desire, betrayal and raw revelation.—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike Apollo, which focused on fast flags and footprints in a breakneck race against the Soviet Union, Artemis is striving for a sustainable moon base elaborate enough to satisfy even the most hard-core science fiction fans.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempting. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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