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
Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Okay, there's trying something new and then there's just being dumb.
—Samantha Highfill, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trying
Adjective
Jax is in the middle of his most trying experience since his rookie season.
—Verb
As furious protests enter their third week and bring Iran to the precipice of change, the country’s theocratic government is trying to survive by harshly cracking down on the widening demonstrations.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for trying
Adjective
-
Of all my books, Helm has been so hard and so lovingly written.—
-
Regardless, making amends with Ronnie is harder than Lilly would like.—
Verb
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He was first elected to the House in 1992, and now represents an inland district stretching from the southern Riverside suburbs to Palm Springs.—
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Without stretching their budget, travelers can enjoy 22 miles of pristine coastline or cross the bridge to hop on a shuttle with Explore Jax Core Tours, where the city’s history, culture, and future unfold through vivid storytelling and physical representation.—
Verb
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On one hand, some argue that Good was attempting to leave the scene, and a trigger-happy ICE agent fired his weapon at her, an abuse of authority.—
-
Rushing to get on board with your carry-on may seem like a good idea (there’s only so much overhead bin space, after all), but attempting to take shortcuts during the boarding process can actually delay your travels even more.—
Adjective
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This leads to families having to make tough decisions, said Cindy Kincaid, family caregiver program manager at Centralina Regional Council.—
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She's been amazing, a sort of brutal support, tough lover, very educational.—
Verb
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Kennedy Botts with Sisters PGH, a nonprofit serving the Black transgender community, is pushing back on that argument.—
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Friends of the Everglades is pushing for 160 square miles of additional conservation land in the Everglades Agricultural Area, to create space for 1 million more acre-feet of water storage.—
Verb
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For instance, energy-rich Saudi Arabia is striving to become the third largest AI market in the world, while leading players in France and Israel are pledging to lead in specialized AI applications.—
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Meanwhile, first-year head coach Bucky McMillan is striving to win his third straight conference title.—
Adjective
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Sophomore Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser, whose searing opening monologue had everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Julia Roberts taking jabs in stride.—
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For the ceremony, Lawrence wore a searing red gown designed by Raf Simons during his stint at the house of Dior.—
Verb
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With belt-cinching streamers straining to do more with less, sloppy vibe calibration has become a common problem.—
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Even in states like Texas, which opted not to expand its Medicaid program and continued to rely on counties to care for many of its uninsured, rising health care costs are straining local budgets.—
Cite this Entry
“Trying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trying. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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