He made a couple of futile tries, wadded up the paper, and gave up.

After a few futile tries, he succeeded in inserting the small key in the lock and getting the handcuffs off.

Finally, after one last futile try at freeing the inexplicably recalcitrant lever, he sagged back against the door, resigned to his fate.

He gathered the stack of book-films to himself in a formless lump and managed, after two futile tries, to re-establish the door to Eternity.

He had stepped away from the table very quietly while I was making my futile try at the cord and he held the hedger.

It would have been a relief if, after a certain number of futile tries, it had been programmed to say, "Buzz off, sister; you've had it."

Knowing You, Randy, you'd make one futile try, then another, then another.

After several futile tries, she was able to call out for Jagun.

Lem," he began, stepping toward the scientist slowly while making another futile try at dissuading Faal from his destiny.