only succeed in

idiom

: to do the opposite of what one is trying to do : to achieve an undesired result
I tried to apologize but only succeeded in making her angrier.

Examples of only succeed in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Scammers only succeed in defrauding people because their victims didn't perform any due diligence. Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 Yet, even with work underway to improve the sustainability of AI products, de Vries says, these solutions may still only succeed in helping the reach of these AIs to grow even further. IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2023 These rigid rules and classifications leave patients behind and only succeed in creating administrative bloat. Ross Marchand, National Review, 3 Mar. 2022 Staking is a crypto use case that allows investors of all kinds to participate in the wealth creation process, attempts to ban it will not protect investors, and will only succeed in driving capital, innovation, and growth out of the U.S. Sean Stein Smith, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2023 The story runs in a grey area between two contradictory quotes ‘An eye for an eye will only succeed in making the whole world blind,’ said by Mahatma Gandhi, and ‘Revenge is the purest emotion,’ as quoted in the Mahabharata. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Apr. 2022 However, this $60 billion-per-year proposal would only succeed in exacerbating income inequality while burgeoning the debt. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 30 Aug. 2021 Piazza, who flourished in New York during his Hall of Fame career, noted during spring training that Lindor has the temperament to not only succeed in the city, but to excel under its gleaming spotlight. New York Times, 31 Mar. 2021 And so a group of Kenyan women is working to increase the visibility and influence of women in tech by providing the mentorship and skills that young women need to not only succeed in one of the most competitive tech markets in the developing world but have their contributions recognized as well. Nanjala Nyabola, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'only succeed in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Cite this Entry

“Only succeed in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/only%20succeed%20in. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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