as in hard
difficult to endure
a harrowing account of the trying conditions experienced by the climbers before they were rescued
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in stretching
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
you're trying my patience
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in attempting
to make an effort to do
try to unlock the door will try to call later tonight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of trying
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
But agricultural leaders see this year as one of the industry’s most trying periods, beset by economic and political factors that could significantly reduce production.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 June 2025
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
When reports surfaced that Texas Tech University might be trying to court Texas star catcher Reese Atwood in the weeks after the Longhorns' national-title win, the Statesman tried to fact-check some of the allegations.
—Sports Editor, Austin American Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trying
Adjective
Jax is in the middle of his most trying experience since his rookie season.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
But agricultural leaders see this year as one of the industry’s most trying periods, beset by economic and political factors that could significantly reduce production.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 June 2025
Verb
When trying to learn something new, keep a careful eye on your sources to avoid accidentally memorizing false information.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
When reports surfaced that Texas Tech University might be trying to court Texas star catcher Reese Atwood in the weeks after the Longhorns' national-title win, the Statesman tried to fact-check some of the allegations.
—Sports Editor, Austin American Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trying
Adjective
-
For now, clarity is powering media shares higher, but conviction in AI is proving harder to sustain.—
Nur Hikmah Md Ali,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The hard part is getting a deal done.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Parker led 36-25 at halftime and just kept pulling away, stretching the lead to 16, 19 and 21 points in the third quarter.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Projections show multi-trillion-dollar deficits stretching into the indefinite future.—
Les Rubin,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Sailors goalkeeper had just received a pass from a teammate and was attempting to control the ball.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Rebecca Leslie scored twice for Ottawa, and Gwyneth Phillips made 21 saves, including one as Jill Saulnier was attempting to score in the third period.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Heat’s climb to get out of the play-in tournament this season just got tougher.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Regulation overseas may be a tougher sell.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Chinese universities rise in global rankings Beijing’s massive education investments have helped to create dozens of elite institutions, pushing Chinese universities up the global rankings.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The products that all these digital marketing efforts are ostensibly pushing are unavailable to most of the people talking about them.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Highlanders are joined by 10 other Orlando area teams striving to advance to the FHSAA state tournament, which moves to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville this year.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Baldacci Family Vineyards was founded by Brenda and Thomas Baldacci in 1998 and today their son Michael continues the legacy of fine winemaking, striving to craft bottles that reflect the distinct terroir in which they are grown while maintaining strict sustainability standards.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The series is equal parts sweeping romance and searing exploration of fame and family in the social media age.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That year, employees at Alphabet's Google protested the Pentagon's use of the company's AI to analyze drone footage, straining relations between Silicon Valley and Washington.—
Andrea Shalal,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The design team might need to accommodate other needs, too, like designing cabinetry to accommodate older clients, raising washing machines and dryers to keep them from straining to remove clothes and moving them.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trying. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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