to no avail
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The women said they tried to raise awareness and have the factory investigated by petitioning politicians and holding lawful protests, but to no avail.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
With their mother gone, the teenager tried to feed the baby, who was exclusively breastfed, formula to no avail.
From Salon • Feb. 4, 2026
In an open letter, Tawfiq al-Tirawi, 77, said he had repeatedly alerted the Palestinian president to cases of graft, but to no avail.
From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026
For months, Doyle tried to sell various works to Matthiesen, to no avail.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
We remonstrated with him, but to no avail.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.