despite numerous tries

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "despite numerous tries" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something was attempted many times without success. Example: "Despite numerous tries, she was unable to solve the complex puzzle."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

And yet, I was unable to make a call despite numerous tries.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

After numerous tries, I heard the eureka whistle.

The New York Times

Despite numerous studies trying to address by which mechanism apoE4 affects the risk for AD, a definitive answer has not yet emerged.

Alzheimer's Research and Therapy

Between 1990 and 1999, despite numerous marketing efforts trying to persuade people to sign donor cards, the U.S. organ waiting lists grew five times as fast as the number of organs donated.

The New York Times - Magazine

Referee Steve Lee played 24 minutes of stoppage-time as Jersey camped in the Albion try line, but despite numerous collapsed scrums he refused to give the islanders a penalty try.

BBC

Despite numerous suggestions that Benítez, now manager of Internazionale, might try to hijack the deal, Liverpool and the player were always confident he would move to Merseyside and that has now been confirmed.

The Guardian - Sport

Despite numerous communications between Tenet's top staff and the TTIC director trying to clarify roles and responsibilities, the "interagency squabbling" never ended, the report says.

The Washington Post

Despite numerous intelligence reports, Stalin refused to believe that Hitler would invade.

The Guardian

Despite numerous emails and phone calls, I heard nothing.

The Guardian - Money

Despite numerous diversity drives, theatre organisations remain overwhelmingly white.

The Guardian

On Wednesday, Texas executed Mr. Suárez despite numerous international protests.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "despite numerous tries", ensure the context clearly indicates what the attempts were aimed at achieving. Clarity helps the reader understand the significance of the repeated efforts.

Common error

Avoid using "despite numerous tries" when a simpler phrase like "after several attempts" would suffice. Overusing complex phrasing can make your writing sound unnecessarily verbose.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "despite numerous tries" functions as a prepositional phrase that introduces a statement of fact that contrasts with what one might expect. According to Ludwig, it is a correct and usable phrase in English. It modifies a clause, setting up a situation where repeated attempts did not yield the desired result.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "despite numerous tries" is a grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to indicate that something has been attempted repeatedly without success. Ludwig confirms its usability in written English. It functions to highlight persistence amidst failure, often setting up a contrast in the narrative. While its register is generally neutral and can be found across various writing contexts, it appears more frequently in news and media and scientific sources. If you're looking for alternative ways to express this idea, phrases like "in spite of many attempts" or "regardless of several efforts" offer similar meanings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

despite several attempts

Simplifies "numerous" to "several", making the phrase slightly less emphatic.

in spite of many attempts

Replaces "despite numerous tries" with a more straightforward expression of multiple attempts.

despite countless efforts

Replaces "numerous" with "countless" to emphasize a higher number of attempts.

regardless of several efforts

Substitutes "despite" with "regardless" and uses "efforts" instead of "tries", slightly altering the tone.

after a number of attempts

Rephrases the start to emphasize the sequence of events leading to the attempts.

even with numerous attempts

Starts with "even with" to give it a slightly different tone, maintaining the meaning.

even after repeated attempts

Emphasizes the repetition of attempts, providing a clearer timeline.

in the face of repeated attempts

Highlights the challenging aspect of the attempts, adding a sense of adversity.

notwithstanding multiple endeavors

Uses more formal language like "notwithstanding" and "endeavors", increasing the formality.

with many unsuccessful tries

Explicitly mentions the lack of success, shifting the focus slightly.

FAQs

What does "despite numerous tries" mean?

The phrase "despite numerous tries" means that something was attempted many times, but without success. It indicates persistence in the face of failure.

How can I use "despite numerous tries" in a sentence?

You can use it to show that an effort was made repeatedly but did not achieve the desired outcome. For example, "Despite numerous tries, she couldn't solve the complex puzzle".

What are some alternatives to "despite numerous tries"?

You can use alternatives like "in spite of many attempts", "regardless of several efforts", or "even after repeated attempts" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "in spite of numerous tries" instead of "despite numerous tries"?

Yes, "in spite of numerous tries" is a grammatically correct and semantically similar alternative to "despite numerous tries". They are largely interchangeable.