attempts 1 of 2

plural of attempt

attempts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of attempt
as in strives
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 attempts
Noun
Then the botched attempts to lethally inject her became the dominant story. — Michael Ruiz , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 The trio of Eller with Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhard on his wings held its own with a 6-5 edge over the Sharks in shot attempts and 3-2 edge in shots on goal over about six minutes of ice time at five-on-five. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 By naming the product of two mergers Skydance, David Ellison relegates two of Hollywood’s founding studios to a sub-brand stew and attempts to erase a bunch of controversial hires. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 Idaho called off the execution of Thomas Eugene Creech in 2024 after execution team members could not place a viable IV after eight attempts. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026 Neibch, whose older brother Burke is the usual starter, was up to the task, completing 9 of 12 pass attempts for 93 yards and a touchdown. — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026 Record attempts built around influencer marketing are becoming a repeatable playbook rather than a novelty. — Agung Dwi Sandi, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Of Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s 29 attempts against the Jets, 21 went over the middle. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
Seven attempts Machado’s camp publicly confirmed last month that there have been at least seven efforts to return. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 Nuclear fusion attempts to copy the physical reactions that power the sun. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026 Taken together, the findings from FDD and UANI highlight what the organizations describe as continuing enforcement challenges as Washington attempts to cut Iran off from international aviation, shipping and financial networks. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Show Caption 1 of 11 Chicago White Sox pinch-runner Junior Perez slides safely into second base as Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) attempts to tag him in the ninth inning of a game at Rate Field on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. — Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 Those who use technology to harass, intimidate or torment others should understand that attempts to anonymize their criminal conduct will not shield them from prosecution. — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 But the apple cart never tips over, and in total, the series is the sort of sweeping intergenerational saga contemporary TV rarely attempts and even more rarely achieves. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 Over time, population replacement attempts to stably introduce Wolbachia in field populations, effectively spreading disease resistance. — New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026 Wever plays Andie Bender, a Dateline NBC producer who attempts to keep the show on its upward ratings trajectory while constantly fielding the neuroses of its host, Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson). — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempts
Noun
  • The Eagles failed to convert a single third down on 12 tries and have been outscored 31-0 in the second half of their last two games, both losses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The Tide moved the ball into the MSU red zone seven times, scoring touchdowns on all seven tries.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In Congo, where the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, responders have faced attacks on health teams, misinformation about the virus, a failure by locals to report symptoms and rebel violence that has limited access to treatment centers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The question also raised the recent spread of controversies over individual films into attacks on cast and crew and campaigns to halt screenings.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Katie strives to use catering companies that adhere to the teachings of the Make America Healthy Again movement, one regular guest says, which encourages the consumption of raw milk and the avoidance of seed oils.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Duplan strives to make individual rooms part of his music, regardless of location.
    — William Jones, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The first phase of the railway that the Colorado Connector (CoCo) will make trips on goes from Denver up to Boulder, on to Fort Collins.
    — Chierstin Roth, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Does this mean those pop-goes-punk comp albums are coming back?
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Over the same period, CATS reported 10 assaults, or less than four per every 10 million passenger trips, on the light rail, data CATS submitted to the federal government shows.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Moscow and Kyiv have intensified their aerial assaults as progress along the 750-mile front line has largely ground to a halt.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The stabs at humor also fall flat, even if the gimmick of a priest injecting his enemies with a serum that obliges them to attend mass every Sunday is kind of fun the first time, but not really the second or third.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The agency instructed hospitals to share detailed patient information for more than 10,000 types of injuries or conditions, such as vaccine reactions, suicide attempts, or stingray stabs.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • When compared to Operation Free MacArthur Park's summer raids, Hochman said Skid Row covers a 50-city-block area, making the park's enforcement almost like a test run for Thursday's massive operation.
    — Julie Sharp, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Thursday’s raids stretched from Simi Valley to West Covina, targeting homes, a storefront downtown and numerous vehicles.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • However, further Houthi offensives have met stiffer resistance from the recuperated forces of the Presidential Leadership Council, depriving the group of another quick victory.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
  • With alarm bells ringing over potential Russian offensives — both digital and kinetic — in the coming months, vulnerable European nations must figure out if, and how, to respond.
    — Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Attempts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempts. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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