After two tries, he at least got out an answer.

After a third try, I gave up trying to get her to admit the obvious.

He hung up the phone after two tries and closed his eyes.

After several false tries I found the front hall again.

They couldn't explain it to her, though, and after several tries, gave up.

And what if, after many tries, Earth finally fails us?

"It is not possible," she told me after several tries.

After several tries, he found the combination and the safe opened.

After several tries she managed to reach the man in charge of her case.

If you can't get in touch with the reference after several tries, make a note of that as well.