1
as in tries
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 attacks
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 strives
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 attempts
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026
Isbel has recorded three steals on three attempts (10th in MLB).
—Data Skrive, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent attempts to reform PAGA have thus far fallen short.
—Tom Manzo, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
Royal also developed into an adept 3-point shooter over the past couple of seasons, which is a focus for Miller; this season Royal made 31 of 98 attempts from behind the arc.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 6 Apr. 2026
After previous attempts in 2018 and 2019 by the government to raise fuel prices triggered countrywide lockdowns, Haiti was finally able to eliminate fuel subsidies in 2022 under the administration of former Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
But many governments don’t have the fiscal resources, and bond investors are ready to punish any attempts to spend too much.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
An outcry five years ago Missouri’s history with Christian boarding schools is why the previous attempts to pass this kind of legislation failed to get any traction.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
The 6-foot-10 big man made his first six field-goal attempts and scored 11 points in his first eight minutes of floor time.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Unfortunately, there has now been a civil lawsuit filed that attempts to suggest otherwise.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
One drunken evening, Antoine attempts to contact Irène through a psychic.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
Three Iraqi officials said earlier Tuesday that attempts to negotiate her release had run into obstacles.
—Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Representatives of Nassau County did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday, and attempts to reach the detectives named in the suit were unsuccessful.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
The letter attempts to apologize for years of antisemitic remarks.
—Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
All joking aside, this Chris Columbus classic excels as a vehicle for Robin Williams' one-of-a-kind comic timing and vocal dexterity as his Daniel Hillard attempts to reintegrate with his family by way of heavy makeup and a silly voice.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
Now that she and Busby have been reunited, the couple must wait as Rivera attempts to secure permanent residency for Kenny-Velasquez.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
Redshirt freshman Canaan Moore played in one game, against Eastern Washington, hitting one of his two field-goal attempts and all four extra points.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026
Isbel has recorded three steals on three attempts (10th in MLB).
—Data Skrive, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent attempts to reform PAGA have thus far fallen short.
—Tom Manzo, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
Royal also developed into an adept 3-point shooter over the past couple of seasons, which is a focus for Miller; this season Royal made 31 of 98 attempts from behind the arc.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 6 Apr. 2026
After previous attempts in 2018 and 2019 by the government to raise fuel prices triggered countrywide lockdowns, Haiti was finally able to eliminate fuel subsidies in 2022 under the administration of former Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
But many governments don’t have the fiscal resources, and bond investors are ready to punish any attempts to spend too much.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
An outcry five years ago Missouri’s history with Christian boarding schools is why the previous attempts to pass this kind of legislation failed to get any traction.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
The 6-foot-10 big man made his first six field-goal attempts and scored 11 points in his first eight minutes of floor time.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Now, amid the Beckham family rift, a New York magazine profile on the eldest son of the famed soccer player attempts to explain why Brooklyn Beckham isn’t likely to leave behind Brand Beckham Peltz anytime soon.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Unfortunately, there has now been a civil lawsuit filed that attempts to suggest otherwise.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
One drunken evening, Antoine attempts to contact Irène through a psychic.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
Three Iraqi officials said earlier Tuesday that attempts to negotiate her release had run into obstacles.
—Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Representatives of Nassau County did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday, and attempts to reach the detectives named in the suit were unsuccessful.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
The letter attempts to apologize for years of antisemitic remarks.
—Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
All joking aside, this Chris Columbus classic excels as a vehicle for Robin Williams' one-of-a-kind comic timing and vocal dexterity as his Daniel Hillard attempts to reintegrate with his family by way of heavy makeup and a silly voice.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
Now that she and Busby have been reunited, the couple must wait as Rivera attempts to secure permanent residency for Kenny-Velasquez.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempts
Noun
-
Importantly, the law allows only very narrow exemptions, such that the overwhelming majority of children promoted to fourth grade must pass the state reading assessment in their first three tries.—
Rachel Canter,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Stammen won his second replay review in two tries.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Israel and Hezbollah showed no signs of decreasing their attacks Friday.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
In an attempt to prevent further attacks on Beirut, the Lebanese government reiterated its call to enter direct negotiations with Israel, an offer Netanyahu has since accepted.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tips for eating Ethiopian food Tedla strives to find the right balance between authenticity for natives alongside choice for people who are curious but nervous about trying a new food.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The word counterculture generally refers to any movement that strives to achieve ideals counter to those of mainstream society.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Except then there’s the chance of being FUNNELED, placed on the rails and headed for a very specific destination, instead of the OPEN-WORLD anything-goes of traditional D&D.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The we-might-all-die-if-this-special-effect-goes-wrong stuff.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Washington reports only assaults involving a dangerous weapon.—
Stella Canino-Quinones,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The detective said police believe all of the suspects who committed the in-person robberies and assaults in the Bay Area and California have been arrested.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But his cartoons, and some early stabs at photography, were not enough to get him into a local art school.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
New Line has taken stabs at developing a sequel with Heisserer and Chris Borrelli penning scripts over the years.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The protest erupted after federal agents conducted simultaneous immigration raids at the company’s Camarillo and Carpinteria locations, arresting more than 300 workers without documentation.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Israeli raids in the city have resulted in severe destruction and many casualties, including the personnel deaths.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the forces being deployed are light infantry, units that lack the large armored vehicles, including tanks, that typically underpin sustained ground offensives.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Putin is widely expected to launch new offensives as the weather in Ukraine improves, piling further pressure on Kyiv.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attempts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempts. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
