at the second try

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at the second try" is not commonly used in written English; the more standard expression is "on the second try." You can use it when referring to the act of attempting something a second time after an initial failure.
Example: "I wasn't successful the first time, but I managed to complete the task at the second try."

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"We had an opportunity at the second try.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The squirrel gagged on it at first, but after the second try learned to eat it slowly.

The New Yorker

This does not mean that we shouldn't try, but it does mean that we might not succeed at the first try.

Cornell University

With the existence of lossy links, however, sender s may fail in transmitting the data to its neighbor at the first try.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

For the single-hop forwarding evaluation, ORW only considers the probability that a packet can be correctly received at the first try and simply takes the reciprocal of this probability value as the expected single-hop delay, without paying careful attention to the effect of retransmission on the evaluation of single-hop forwarding capacity.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The ability to find the right relationship at the first try, or, if the computer made one of its very rare errors, to rectify that without any financial or emotional loss.

Huffington Post

You may not achieve this at the first try.

WikiHow

Me neither, at least not after the first try.

TechCrunch

Noise might not scare them off, at least not on the first try.

WikiHow

And this isn't the first try at calendar reform.

The New York Times

The ambitiously titled Major League Soccer (MLS), which has 12 teams, is the third try at it.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider using the more common and often preferred phrasing "on the second try" for improved clarity and readability.

Common error

While grammatically acceptable, consistently using "at the second try" may make your writing sound slightly awkward or non-idiomatic in formal contexts. Vary your phrasing with alternatives like "on the second attempt" or "during the second attempt" to enhance the overall flow and professionalism of your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at the second try" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb by indicating when something occurred. Ludwig examples showcase its use to specify success or a particular action achieved during a subsequent attempt.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Wiki

30%

Science

30%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "at the second try" indicates success achieved after an initial failure. While grammatically acceptable, as noted by Ludwig AI, it's less common than the alternative "on the second try". Consequently, using "on the second try" is usually preferred. Occurring across various domains like News & Media, Wiki, and Science, the phrase serves to specify the timing of an event. For formal writing, substituting the phrase with choices like "on the second attempt" can improve the text's impact and stylistic flair.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

on the second attempt

Replaces "try" with the more formal "attempt" and uses the more common preposition "on".

upon the second try

Uses the more formal preposition "upon" instead of "at".

in the second attempt

Uses the preposition "in" which changes the emphasis slightly.

after a second attempt

Emphasizes the sequence of events.

with a second try

Focuses on possessing a second chance.

during the second try

Highlights the process of the second attempt.

following the initial attempt

More formal and emphasizes the sequence.

on the follow-up attempt

Highlights that the attempt is a direct continuation.

in the subsequent attempt

Uses more formal vocabulary.

at the next try

Suggests a slightly less formal or immediate retry.

FAQs

What is a more common way to say "at the second try"?

A more common and idiomatic way to express the same idea is to say "on the second try".

Is "at the second try" grammatically incorrect?

While not strictly incorrect, "at the second try" is less common than "on the second try" and may sound slightly awkward to some native English speakers. It's generally acceptable but consider your audience and the context.

Which is correct, "at the second try" or "on the second try"?

Both phrases can be used, but "on the second try" is generally preferred and considered more standard English.

What are some alternatives to "at the second try" for formal writing?

In formal writing, consider using alternatives such as "on the second attempt", "during the second attempt", or "after a second attempt".