take (great) pains

idiom

: to try hard (to do something)

He took (great) pains to explain the situation to us.

Examples of take (great) pains 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.

The staff take pains to explain that exposure to the water should be limited to small doses. —

Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024 Given the game’s importance, the schools take pains to lock in revenue streams years ahead. —

Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019 Netto and Schindler take pains to point out the irony of Iris’ predicament: Iris has emerged from the emotionally catatonic state that she’s been in since the day of her son’s accident… just to wind up in a physically catatonic state at the site of her son’s accident. —

David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024 Many countries now take great pains to account for their missing. —

Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take (great) pains

Cite this Entry

Style

“Take (great) pains.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20%28great%29%20pains. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation