Crossword Genius

Attempted, tried (7)

Ross

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" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.