as in tried
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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Recent Examples of attempted
Officials say the trend should not be attempted at home and is especially unsafe for kids.
—
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
As deputies attempted to make contact, the suspect drove off.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
With Washington's institutions held in such low regard, the bigger surprise may be that TMZ hasn't attempted such a flex here sooner.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Finding the behavior suspicious, police said the officers activated their overhead lights and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attempted
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
As deputies attempted to make contact, the suspect drove off.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
With Washington's institutions held in such low regard, the bigger surprise may be that TMZ hasn't attempted such a flex here sooner.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Finding the behavior suspicious, police said the officers activated their overhead lights and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attempted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempted
tried
Verb
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The assassination attempt failed — and Hinckley was arrested, tried and found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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There is something the series hasn’t yet tried, which would certainly get people talking.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempted. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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