He made a vain effort to close the door, then laughed.
Some members of the Commune made a vain last effort to stop the crime, but it had gone too far.
He tells of his own vain efforts to trace them.
The old man turned just in time to see him coming, and made a vain effort to jerk the lever.
He looked about him in a vain effort at orientation.
His lips fell apart in the vain effort to answer.
She pushed against his shoulders in a vain effort to hold him off.
I had visited her often in the London hospital where vain efforts were made to stop the spread of cancer.
She made one more vain effort and then burst into tears.
I took a deep breath in a vain effort to clear my head, then stood up.
Since 1994, there have been several unsuccessful efforts to remake the film.
Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop internet use?
Several unsuccessful efforts were made to found a national organization to which local organizations could belong.
Ray Kennedy made an unsuccessful effort to put out his hand.
At one point, he went to court in an unsuccessful effort to stop the leaks.
It was shipped there in the unsuccessful effort to find American money and support for the project.
There have been unsuccessful efforts to build casinos for almost 40 years.
Just three years ago, she had led an unsuccessful effort to pass an identical tax.
In 1983, there was an initial unsuccessful effort to found a national foundation.
He spent many years aiding an unsuccessful effort to find them.