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
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Recent Examples of attempting
The seizure is an escalation of the blockade and comes after Iran fired upon commercial vessels attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz earlier Sunday.
—
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026
However, in that same May 2025 assault case, Garcia Moran pled guilty to attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, a Class 6 felony.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Iranian forces were also reported to have turned back vessels attempting to transit the route on Sunday.
—Gemma Fox, Time, 19 Apr. 2026
Avoid attempting to walk to safety.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Iran’s armed forces turned back two tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz after issuing warnings, Reuters reported, citing Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Most prominent among her other clients is Carl (Zach Galifianakis), a semi-retired industry legend who made his money from a spam platform and whom Duncan will spend much of this eight-episode season attempting to impress.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The vast majority have been attempting to leave the Persian Gulf, but empty tankers are also needed inside, to be loaded with new cargoes.
—Weilun Soon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
The Canadiens were actively attempting to add a right-shot defenceman at the trade deadline back on March 6.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026
However, in that same May 2025 assault case, Garcia Moran pled guilty to attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer, a Class 6 felony.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
Iranian forces were also reported to have turned back vessels attempting to transit the route on Sunday.
—Gemma Fox, Time, 19 Apr. 2026
Avoid attempting to walk to safety.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Iran’s armed forces turned back two tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz after issuing warnings, Reuters reported, citing Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Most prominent among her other clients is Carl (Zach Galifianakis), a semi-retired industry legend who made his money from a spam platform and whom Duncan will spend much of this eight-episode season attempting to impress.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The vast majority have been attempting to leave the Persian Gulf, but empty tankers are also needed inside, to be loaded with new cargoes.
—Weilun Soon, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026
The Canadiens were actively attempting to add a right-shot defenceman at the trade deadline back on March 6.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempting
Verb
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What Brody and others are trying to dismantle is already part of a daunting corporate and technological superstructure.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
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As one of many nations on the continent reliant on energy imports, Kenya is trying to avoid fuel shortages.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Boring dad; feisty mom; rich do-gooder; striving newcomer; MAGA one; MAGA two.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Seasoned party-planners say that striving to create meaningful interactions instead of for perfection alleviates some of the stress of hosting.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attempting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempting. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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