Bound to cross river? Made an effort (5)
I believe the answer is:
tried
'made an effort' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'bound to cross river?' is the wordplay.
'bound' becomes 'tied' (I've seen this before).
'to cross' indicates putting letters inside.
'river?' becomes 'r'.
'tied' placed around 'r' is 'TRIED'.
(Other definitions for tried that I've seen before include "Essayed" , "Endeavoured" , "Put to the test" , "Made an attempt" , "Tested" .)