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
show current usage.
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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
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
None of these obstacles does stop Kadir from trying to achieve his dream, and against all odds, Kadir succeeds in becoming the owner of a powered parachute.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Apr. 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
Work that isn’t trying to fit a mould, but redefine it.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
None of these obstacles does stop Kadir from trying to achieve his dream, and against all odds, Kadir succeeds in becoming the owner of a powered parachute.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trying
Adjective
-
Say the hard truth gently, then listen fully.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Apr. 2026
-
That’s so cold, in fact, that water there is like rock here on Earth, as hard as granite.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For a family stretching a tight grocery budget, $22 isn’t a smoothie.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Much of Colorado’s growth is now concentrated in a belt of counties stretching from Weld down to Elbert and El Paso counties, temporarily bypassing Arapahoe, which had the state’s biggest population loss in raw numbers.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With a hundred and forty-one residential projects in development and twenty thousand new residents projected for the neighborhood by 2035, the city is attempting to reproduce the idea at building scale.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Williams gave up a leadoff single to Chapman — who was thrown out attempting to steal second — but then gave up only a harmless single to Heliot Ramos before closing it out.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As the inspirational Moon glides into your 7th House of Allies, your expressive nature invites connection, and your generous spirit lightens tough conversations.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
-
One factor is that the Highlanders, a Division 3 team, haven’t faced the toughest schedule.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hmmm, let’s see… oh, yes, Kawhi Leonard famously did this once, pushing his way out of San Antonio.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Faster decision-making, greater policy coherence, and a better chance of pushing difficult reforms at a pivotal moment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rwanda is striving to ensure food security amid the latest global pressures on farm inputs like fertilizer, whose prices have been rising since the Iran war began.—
Evelyne Musambi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Rwanda is striving to ensure food security amid the latest global pressures on farm inputs like fertilizer, whose prices have been rising since the Iran war began.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The term refers to warmer-than-average waters along the equatorial Pacific that can influence weather across the globe, raising the odds of searing drought in some regions and torrential rain in others.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Paramount+’s The Madison is a tale of two shows, one a dire lampooning of snooty New York elites and one a searing portrait of grief and healing anchored by Pfeiffer’s raw intensity.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Reaves missed 19 games after straining his left calf on Christmas.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Hundreds of people attended the Via Crucis in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood on Good Friday, straining their necks to catch a glimpse of the actor portraying Jesus in the final moments before his execution.—
Laura Turbay,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trying. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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