vain attempt

"It's a vain attempt to establish some sense of security."

The grandmother says she has paid thousands of dollars in court fines over the years in a vain attempt to keep the property.

That's why they assembled every surrogate, henchman and TV pundit supporter to fan out on Tuesday the minute Trump finished his event at the Chicago Economic Club to pretend that it was a triumph in a vain attempt to swallow up the growing public realization that Trump is far more addled and mentally chaotic than what we've seen previously.

The decision by CBS angered some journalists who accused the network of sacrificing ethics in a vain attempt to assuage Republicans who want to make up stories up with impunity.

Red Bull had Sergio Perez sacrifice his final lap to give Verstappen a tow on the run down to Parabolica on his final lap, in a vain attempt to vault up the grid.