# tries

/ˈtɹaɪz/ (US) · /tɹˈaɪz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tries
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. makes an effort

verb · CEFR A1

to make an effort to do something.

For teachers: the third-person singular present form of 'try', meaning to attempt or make an effort to achieve a goal.

- She tries her best to wake up early every morning for a run.
- He tries to balance his demanding professional responsibilities with his commitment to community service, though the schedule is often exhausting.

### 2. tests something

verb · CEFR A2

to test or use something to see if it works or if you like it.

For teachers: the third-person singular present form of 'try', meaning to test the quality, effect, or utility of something.

- The chef always tries new recipes before adding them to the menu.
- The research team tries various chemical combinations in the lab to determine which catalyst produces the most stable reaction.

## Examples

- She succeeded after three tries.
- The athlete failed his first two tries at the high jump but cleared the bar on his final attempt.
- While the initial tries yielded little data, the persistent repetition of the experiment eventually revealed a pattern that the researchers had previously overlooked.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.