"attempting" in the verb sense
1. try, seek, attempt, essay, assay
make an effort or attempt
"He tried to shake off his fears"
"The infant had essayed a few wobbly steps"
"The police attempted to stop the thief"
"He sought to improve himself"
"She always seeks to do good in the world"
2. undertake, set about, attempt
enter upon an activity or enterprise
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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