to no avail

phrase

: without success
They tried to discuss the issue calmly, but to no avail.

Examples of to no avail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After going missing on the North Side of Chicago all those years ago, Antonino spent months looking for her beloved companion, ultimately to no avail. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 Councilor Jennifer Sigette motioned to keep the city meeting open so everyone would have a chance to comment, to no avail. — Gabriel Brito, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 26 Aug. 2026 Roldan, whose group represents people like Arias - a mix of Hispanic, Korean, Arab and Chinese-owned establishments - said he's tried to set up a meeting with the mayor to discuss their concerns, but to no avail. — Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 What we’re left with is the image of the fanatic, leaving prints on the grass, chasing the President’s golf cart to no avail, working out her psychic need in the epistolary form, writing as much to herself as to her addressee. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for to no avail

Rhymes for to no avail

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Browse Nearby Words

tono-
to no avail
ton of refrigeration
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Cite this Entry

“To no avail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%20no%20avail. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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