try for

phrasal verb

tried for; trying for; tries for

: to make an attempt or effort to get (something)

He tried for second place but finished third instead.

Examples of try for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Zola ended up being tried for libel and forced into exile from France. —

Maurice Samuels / Made By History, TIME, 21 May 2024 Instead, he’s being tried for a cover-up of the cover-up, a deception allegedly carried out inside his own accounting system. —

Ross Douthat, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024 Dosch based the film on several real cases in which dog owners were tried for the actions of their animals, including one that went all the way to the European Court of Human Rights. —

Shannon L. Bowen, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024 Orange Lutheran is trying for the same feat on the diamond. —

Dan Albano, Orange County Register, 14 May 2024 In 2023, McCraney was tried for capital murder with the possibility of receiving the death penalty. —

Marcus Mewborn, ABC News, 10 May 2024 The shortstop tried for the force at second, but threw the ball into right field and Baker scampered home with the winning run. —

John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2024 It’s been utter domination for Dan Hurley’s UConn team, which in 2024-25 will be trying for a three-peat with some new players. —

Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024 Scientists have been trying for decades to understand what those clicks might mean, with only minimal progress. —

Maria Cheng, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'try for.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.