"started desperately" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe someone's actions when they begin to do something with great urgency or desperation. Example: She started desperately searching for her lost keys, tearing apart every room in the house until she finally found them under the couch cushions.
Exact(1)
He and Mr. Hevesi are generally regarded as the front-runners in the race, particularly since Mr. Ferrer started desperately seeking Mr. Sharpton, who never delivered an endorsement, or even a prison visit.
Similar(58)
But before we start desperately trying to shrink the infinite territory of the internet, let's cut ourselves a break.
Being poor suddenly stops feeling quaint, and you start desperately looking for options.
So that's when New Yorkers qua New Yorkers start desperately trying to find markers of achievement other than wealth, such as private-school admission.
"Everyone starts out desperately trying to make a hit, but some people are just more mistake-prone than others.
A few more lines and anyone curling up in a cottage with "Rebecca's Tale" would start hunting desperately for old Reader's Digests.
The Astros were already flooded with talent but Correa will help them stay in the race, as would another starting pitcher, desperately needed.
DC: I think that the United States should start trying desperately to produce its own energy.
Ireland, who started so well, desperately more ball.
"I stayed home and desperately started missing good conversation," she said.
TWENTY years ago, the PC industry was just getting started and looking desperately for a killer app.
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Since I tried Ludwig back in 2017, I have been constantly using it in both editing and translation. Ever since, I suggest it to my translators at ProSciEditing.

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com