despite their attempts

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "despite their attempts" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something happened or was true regardless of the efforts made by someone or a group. Example: "Despite their attempts to resolve the issue, the problem persisted."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

But despite their attempts, television showed protesters clashing with police along the route.

The Guardian

Despite their attempts to follow IBB practices, the sides kept sliding back into positional bargaining.

The Washington Post

He is no friend of MI6, nor of MI5, despite their attempts to forgive their former officer.

The Guardian - Books

"There was so much rough stuff out in the middle and, despite their attempts to stay relaxed, they were getting hammered.

The Guardian - Sport

And yet Marcus also noticed that both Arete and Deep Springs, despite their attempts to subvert gender stereotypes, inadvertently end up reinforcing them.

The New Yorker

Despite their attempts to mold the pre-made digital image into something suitable for their storybook, the result still just doesn't look right.

MIT Technology Review

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

What it did was prevent people from seeing you in results if they searched for your name directly in the Facebook Search bar – which, despite their attempt to minimize its importance, was probably something people who didn't like it very much appreciated being able to turn off.

TechCrunch

Despite their attempt at an explanation, it still doesn't really make sense.

Vice

"These hopes were quickly dashed because despite their attempt to adapt and their declarations of loyalty, the Jews quickly became a target for the rigid nationalism of the young Republic.

Huffington Post

In 2010 they used a mythical "Seniors' Bill of Rights" program to steal Democrats' thunder on the issue, despite their attempt to privatize Social Security a few short years before.

Huffington Post

But despite all their attempts to communicate a rosy view of the White House, there were lines that Obama's team never crossed, including booting the press corps.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "despite their attempts" to clearly contrast efforts made with a resulting lack of success or change. This highlights the futility or ineffectiveness of the attempts in a concise manner.

Common error

Avoid using "despite of their attempts". The correct preposition is simply "despite", not "despite of". The addition of 'of' is a common grammatical error.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "despite their attempts" functions as a prepositional phrase that introduces a contrasting element to a statement. Ludwig highlights its role in setting up a situation where efforts were made, but a different or contrary outcome occurred.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

17%

Science

13%

Less common in

Academia

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Encyclopedias

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "despite their attempts" is a commonly used prepositional phrase that introduces a contrast between effort and outcome. Ludwig AI affirms its grammatical correctness and widespread application across various contexts, predominantly in news and media, wiki, and scientific writing. Alternatives include "in spite of their efforts" and "regardless of their efforts", providing writers with options to express similar sentiments with nuanced variations. This analysis offers guidance for effective usage, highlighting best practices and common errors to avoid.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in spite of their efforts

Emphasizes the lack of impact of the efforts.

regardless of their efforts

Highlights that the outcome was not affected by their actions.

despite all their endeavors

Emphasizes the extent of the effort made.

notwithstanding their endeavors

A more formal way of saying "despite their efforts".

even though they attempted

A more explicit articulation of the attempt.

even with their attempts

Focuses on the attempts made, yet the result remained unchanged.

with all their efforts

Highlights the presence of effort but it didn't change the outcome.

irrespective of their trying

Indicates the outcome was the same whether they tried or not.

for all their trying

Acknowledges effort, yet implies futility.

though they tried

A shorter and more direct way of expressing the same idea.

FAQs

How can I use "despite their attempts" in a sentence?

Use "despite their attempts" to show a contrast between actions taken and the eventual outcome. For example, "Despite their attempts to fix the car, it still wouldn't start".

What are some alternatives to "despite their attempts"?

You can use alternatives like "in spite of their efforts", "regardless of their efforts", or "notwithstanding their endeavors".

Is there a difference between "despite their attempts" and "in spite of their attempts"?

"Despite their attempts" and "in spite of their attempts" are largely interchangeable and have the same meaning. "Despite" is generally considered slightly more formal.

Can I use "although they attempted" instead of "despite their attempts"?

Yes, "although they attempted" can be used, but it changes the sentence structure. For example, instead of "Despite their attempts, they failed", you'd say "Although they attempted, they failed". It can also be used like "even though they attempted".