TRIES Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

tries 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of try

as in stretches

to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress you're trying my patience

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in attempts

to make an effort to do try to unlock the door will try to call later tonight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tries

2 of 2

noun

plural of try

as in goes

an effort to do or accomplish something was granted another try at the field goal

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 tries

Verb

Linney’s Guardian tries to draw out some resentment from her new candidate, but John expresses (or feigns) sympathy for Hal, who was betrayed by his father figure Sinestro, an experience John likens to his own complicated upbringing. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2026 However, if a person tries to inject the drug, naloxone blocks buprenorphine’s opioid effects, triggering withdrawal in a person with opioid dependence. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 Almost everywhere else in the city, women would need one — except at this venue, which tries to not upset the precarious balance of the religion-nightlife cohabitation. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 In the book, when Hig tries to land there, a trip wire almost snags the Cessna and pulls them down to their deaths in a crash. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026 The more Tom tries to pick up the parental slack left by his wife’s sudden death, the more Jake seems to pull away, which allows the new Whisper Man to gain a toehold in their lives. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 What follows is a tense courtroom thriller that tries to determine what exactly happened, ultimately giving audiences the ability to choose for themselves. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 There’s been a big emphasis on pressing as a unit and moving the ball quickly as Iraola tries to install the kind of bold, attacking football which put him at the front of the queue when Liverpool looked for Slot’s successor. — James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Hal tries to give John a flying lesson, but the trainee can’t get off the ground. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Aug. 2026

Noun

After surviving a ferocious first half to trail only 13-12, the All Blacks' resolve hardened by new coach Dave Rennie and age-old ability to produce something from nothing turned a tense contest into a rout by five tries to South Africa's one. — ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026 As Lucarelli closed in on 2,000 tries over the weekend, Oswalt ran the math in his head. — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Jorge Polanco had an RBI groundout and Jared Young delivered a run-scoring double as the Mets swept a series for the second time in four tries since the trade deadline. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 The Tigers have only beaten Georgia once in 13 tries (on the road in 2013). — Pj Green august 16, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026 The effort put the Liberty back in the win column and provided the eighth victory in 11 tries. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026 Gore suggests treating the first few tries like a mini experiment. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 After six tries, the 45-year-old right-hander got his 246th victory and finally broke the tie with Nicaragua’s Dennis Martinez. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tries

Verb

Cheeca Lodge & Spa Cheeca Lodge’s history stretches back to the late 1800s, but the property became a resort in 1946 when Clara May Downey purchased it and renamed it the Olney Inn.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
The fire in the High Fens, which stretches across the border with Germany, is smoldering atop a much-bloodied battlefield where Nazis fought Allied troops.

— Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of stretches

Verb

Why private credit may avoid a ‘crisis-apocalypse’ Blackstone’s scale attracts outsized scrutiny, and investors’ attempts to pull money from its private credit funds earlier this year made headline news.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
In 1994, Detective Joanne Miller, played by Shailene Woodley, attempts to track Kaczynski down as his bombing spree rages.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of attempts

Verb

Incoming low pressure from the west pushes away heat and allows better moisture to enter the state, raising rain chances as soon as Friday evening and increasing through the weekend.

— Tevian Whitehurst, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Most of life is complex and multifaceted, and reading is one of the only habits that pushes back against the instinct to see things in black and white.

— Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

This is all while Venus in Libra strives for justice, balance, cooperation and relationships that feel mutually considerate.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
Chesney called Martin an unbelievable leader and said that his energy will give people a window into what his program strives to look like.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of strives

Verb

The campus builds and tests engines for both defense and commercial platforms.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
The season 1 finale tests the sitcom’s limits, offering up the romantic high of Ted winning Robin back and the emotional low of Marshall losing Lily.

— Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of tests

Verb

The guideline seeks to avoid clubs inflating their bottom lines through what the governing body terms ‘player exchange transactions’.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The three-time Daytona 500 winner also seeks his first win in the summer race.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026