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