The verbs try and endeavor both deal with putting forth an effort toward a specific end. Try is the more common and more general term—it is used of efforts both casual and serious, i.e., you can try halfheartedly to do something, or you can try hard to succeed. Endeavor emphasizes serious and continued exertion of effort, sometimes aimed at dutiful or socially appropriate behavior: to endeavor to fulfill one's obligations. There really is no halfhearted endeavoring—this verb is all in. Though for all its striving, endeavor is more commonly used as a noun, as in: The young teacher believed that nurturing the minds of next generation was a noble endeavor.

There’s no shortage of synonyms for the verb fool (or the noun for that matter), and each of them has a slightly different texture. To fool someone is to trick or deceive them. The verb developed from the noun, which, in its earliest uses referred to a silly person or someone who lacks judgement or sense. The suggestion of silliness carries over into the verb, which, as words of deception go, is relatively lighthearted. Dupe is more pointed, emphasizing deception or being cheated, a nuance that is visible in the noun dupe, which refers to a person who is easily deceived or, especially, taken advantage of.

A person’s surroundings are the things, circumstances, or conditions that make up their environment, especially the physical aspects: He awoke in strange surroundings; she tried to blend in with her surroundings. The noun milieu refers to intangible aspects of an environment, especially those of a social or cultural nature: The artist’s work reflected a very specific cultural milieu. Milieu, a loanword from French, is especially useful for highlighting the character or prevailing attitudes or influences of certain historical periods or of social sets. In this way it is different not only from surroundings, but also from ambiance, which emphasizes the mood or tone of an environment, and setting, which suggests a background that sets something off.