essay 1 of 2

1
as in article
a short piece of writing typically expressing a point of view school essays on what it means to be a patriot

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2
3
as in test
a procedure or operation carried out to resolve an uncertainty a little homemade essay to determine the easiest way to strip the paint from the bookcase

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essay

2 of 2

verb

as in to attempt
to make an effort to do he had been in gymnastics for some time before he even considered essaying that move

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb essay differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of essay are attempt, endeavor, strive, and try. While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

will essay a dramatic role for the first time

When might attempt be a better fit than essay?

While the synonyms attempt and essay are close in meaning, attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

will attempt to photograph the rare bird

Where would endeavor be a reasonable alternative to essay?

Although the words endeavor and essay have much in common, endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

endeavored to find crash survivors in the mountains

When is strive a more appropriate choice than essay?

While in some cases nearly identical to essay, 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, in the sense of essay?

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 essay
Noun
Listening to a Swift song is like eating a candy bar that transmits a personal essay into your memory. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025 An essay in The Dartmouth Review argues that the toga parties (based very much on truth) represented students from Miller's generation rebelling against conformity. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
Given that some schools have a considerable number of supplemental essay prompts (Yale requires students to respond to a whopping eight questions, seven short-answer and one longer essay), students should dedicate ample time to brainstorming, drafting, and revising. Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025 But Celeste Wallander, until recently the top defense official overseeing U.S. policy toward Europe and Russia, warns in a new Foreign Affairs essay that this transformation will have more complicated consequences than most Americans expect. Foreign Affairs, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for essay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for essay
Noun
  • The White House, presented with extensive questions for this article, sent a one-paragraph statement disparaging ProPublica and Dudek.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Her athlete representative did not respond to an email from The Athletic to speak to her for this article.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • After the FanDuel announcement, the court found that SEPTA's attempt to implement planned service cuts during Thursday's Eagles game was a violation of the August 29 court order, a claim that SEPTA disputes.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Watch his sumo wrestling attempt in the video at the top of the story.
    Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Athletic Club defender Yeray Alvarez has been handed a 10-month suspension by UEFA following a positive doping test.
    Colin Millar, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The money would provide for beginning mechanical removal of the algae mass in the most problematic areas and setting up test areas for the effectiveness of algicides, Miller said.
    Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Schiffer said Meghan had been too risk averse in the first two seasons, but could try to pitch a slightly different concept for a third season that pushed the boundaries far more.
    Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
  • His analysis of Paqueta’s performances in the four games under scrutiny was that his fouls were simply typical of an attacking midfielder trying — not very successfully — to help his team defensively.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Testing the balance between strength and sustainability For experiments, the team used Polymaker’s PolyTerra PLA as the eco-friendly filament and Ultimaker’s PLA for reinforcement.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
  • No human journalist was harmed in this experiment.
    CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Now retired, Andra loved her job working for the federal government and strives to make a difference in the world around her.
    Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Businesses are striving to do more with less, cutting entry-level roles and striving for AI automation to save on headcount costs.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Essay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/essay. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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