Attempted, tried (7)
I believe the answer is:
essayed
I believe this clue is a double definition.
'attempted' is the first definition.
('essay' can be a synonym of 'attempt')
'tried' is the second definition.
(to essay something is to attempt it)
(Other definitions for essayed that I've seen before include "Attempted, tried" , "Made formal attempt" , "Had a go" , "Tried (E, not A)" , "Attempted, strove" .)