fraudulent scheme, illegitimate enterprise, racket - an illegal enterprise (such as extortion or fraud or drug peddling or prostitution) carried on for profit

forlorn hope - a hopeless or desperate enterprise

project, task, undertaking, labor - any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted; "he prepared for great undertakings"

business activity, commercial activity - activity undertaken as part of a commercial enterprise

batting - (baseball) the batter's attempt to get on base

best - the supreme effort one can make; "they did their best"

worst - the weakest effort or poorest achievement one is capable of; "it was the worst he had ever done on a test"

activity - any specific activity; "they avoided all recreational activity"

bid, play - an attempt to get something; "they made a futile play for power"; "he made a bid to gain attention"

braving, confronting, coping with, tackling, grappling - taking the bull by the horns

fling, go, offer, whirl, crack, pass - a usually brief attempt; "he took a crack at it"; "I gave it a whirl"

essay - a tentative attempt

foray - an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence); "scientists' forays into politics"

contribution, share, part - any one of a number of individual efforts in a common endeavor; "I am proud of my contribution to the team's success"; "they all did their share of the work"

liberation - the attempt to achieve equal rights or status; "she worked for women's liberation"

mug's game - a futile or unprofitable endeavor

power play, squeeze play, squeeze - an aggressive attempt to compel acquiescence by the concentration or manipulation of power

research effort - an attempt to solve some problem through research

seeking - an attempt to acquire or gain something

stab, shot - informal words for any attempt or effort; "he gave it his best shot"; "he took a stab at forecasting"

shot - an attempt to score in a game

nisus, pains, striving, strain - an effortful attempt to attain a goal

struggle, battle - an energetic attempt to achieve something; "getting through the crowd was a real struggle"; "he fought a battle for recognition"

takeover attempt - an attempt to take control of a corporation

run, test, trial - the act of testing something; "in the experimental trials the amount of carbon was measured separately"; "he called each flip of the coin a new trial"

test, trial - the act of undergoing testing; "he survived the great test of battle"; "candidates must compete in a trial of skill"

struggle - to exert strenuous effort against opposition; "he struggled to get free from the rope"

attempt, essay, try, assay, seek - 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"

be at pains, take pains - try very hard to do something

buck - to strive with determination; "John is bucking for a promotion"