One must do so or die in the attempt (3)

I believe the answer is:

eat

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'one must do so or die' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'in the attempt' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates a hidden word.
'EAT' is hidden within 'the attempt'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for eat that I've seen before include "Have 23d [MEAL]" , "Take food" , "Do cats - bats? Do bats - cats? (Alice in Wonderland)" , "Devour" , "to do etching?" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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.