1
as in try
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
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2
as in attack
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 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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attempt
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
In a January game against the Detroit Pistons, Towns injured his right thumb, seemingly jamming it into the backboard during a first-quarter dunk attempt.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2025
Police allege that shortly after midnight on April 19, Jones and Upshaw approached a Richmond resident on the 500 block of 18th Street in Uptown Oakland, and attempted to rob him for a diamond necklace.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for attempt
Noun
Several federal judges have issued injunctions blocking key aspects of the administration's enforcement strategy, including attempts to limit access to immigration hearings and detain migrants without bail or timely review.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
In a January game against the Detroit Pistons, Towns injured his right thumb, seemingly jamming it into the backboard during a first-quarter dunk attempt.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
Verb
Clean out the expired sunscreen first before attempting to recycle the container.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2025
Police allege that shortly after midnight on April 19, Jones and Upshaw approached a Richmond resident on the 500 block of 18th Street in Uptown Oakland, and attempted to rob him for a diamond necklace.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for attempt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempt
Noun
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The Oilers entered the game with a 23-15 deficit in power-play tries in the playoffs.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
9 May 2025
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Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree, while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game.—
Matt Minton,
Variety,
9 May 2025
Noun
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The attack left about 1,200 people dead, and militants captured Alexander and some 250 others to hold hostage. 'Greatest gift': Family of NJ's Edan Alexander heads to Israel as Hamas agrees to release How many hostages remain in Gaza?—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
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Such fears came into sharp focus after India suspended the treaty on April 23, a day after the Pahalgam terror attack.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Verb
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Cupich described the pope as an organized and meticulous worker who is humble and strives to take in a variety of different perspectives.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
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Martinez also serves as a mentor for both the Reel Champs’ Executive Diversity Mentorship Program, as well as the Group Effort Initiative Mentorship Program, which strives to create a pipeline for members of underrepresented communities to establish long-term careers within entertainment.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Police officers discovered the victim with multiple stab wounds to his torso just before 6 p.m. near East Fordham Rd. and Webster Ave.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2025
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At least three male students, ages 14, 15 and 16, were found with stab wounds and taken by paramedics to a hospital.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2025
Noun
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The daily remote raid limit is also being increased from five to 10, and a new bundle for Remote Raid Passes has been added to the Pokémon Go web store, which includes two Remote Raid Passes for $2.99.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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The New Mexico Avenue location of Chef Geoff’s — one of two D.C. restaurants owned and operated by O’Donnell’s husband, Geoff Tracy — was subject to a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on the morning of Tuesday, May 6.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
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That composure led to him landing a knee in the third round after a scramble to get off the mat and setting up the ground strikes that finished the fight at the 3:43 mark of Round 3.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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Sunday’s strike marks the third consecutive day of missile launches from Yemen toward Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces.—
Tamar Michaelis,
CNN Money,
4 May 2025
Noun
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Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
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In early April, Trump imposed a 20% levy on goods from the EU as part of his tariff onslaught against global trading partners.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
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How can organizations handle this onslaught of events?—
Johanna Herrmann,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attempt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempt. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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