10 Other Ways to Say “In an Effort To”

It’s common to explain your reasons with “in an effort to.” However, it can quickly become monotonous and repetitive if you’re not careful. And that’s why you’re here!

This article will give you some great synonyms, showing you what to say instead of “in an effort to.”

• With the aim of
• In order to
• With the intention of
• Seeking to
• With the purpose of
• As a means to
• With the objective of
• To strive for
• In an attempt to
• To work towards

Keep reading to learn different ways to say “in an effort to.” You may also review our examples to find out more about each phrase.

1. With the Aim Of

It’s good to directly highlight your goals when you can. The clearer your goals are, the more people will understand the purpose of your work.

So, we recommend writing “with the aim of” in formal emails. It shows you have a specific aim in mind and would like to do something to work towards that goal.

Try it when emailing your team. It shows you’ve set up a few new projects, each one aiming to achieve a goal or target to improve your workplace.

Check out this sample email if you’re still unsure:

Dear Team,

We are trying to arrange the event with the aim of improving client relations. I expect you all to attend.

Best,
Darren Michigan

2. In Order To

It might not be the most streamlined choice, but “in order to” is certainly one of the more popular ones. It works well in formal writing to explain why you’re doing something.

You can use “in order to” in emails to explain your motives or reasons for something. It lets the recipient understand why you’re setting them a specific task.

Try it the next time you contact a client. It should allow you to explain why you’d like to work with them.

Here’s a great email example to help you with it:

Dear Mr. White,

We should work together in order to maximize our output. Do you have any ideas that might help us here?

Thank you,
Paul Hollywood

3. With the Intentions Of

We also recommend using “with the intentions of” as another phrase for “interestingly enough.” It’s formal and direct, letting recipients know what to expect from the work you set for them.

For example, you may use it when emailing employees. If you’ve recently set them a task, this should explain some of the reasons or motives behind that task.

Of course, the recipient may still have questions. But, ideally, this phrase will clear up most of the initial queries an employee might have about your goals.

You can also review this email sample:

Dear Charlotte,

This is all with the intention of working together. Please let me know when you’re available to do this.

Best regards,
Tom Delonge

4. Seeking To

You can use “seeking to” as another way to say “in an effort to.” It works really well in academic writing, as it explains what you’re aiming to achieve.

Generally, “seeking to” helps to provide information to the reader. It implies you have a specific goal in mind and would like to “seek” it out.

This should show essay readers what the purpose of your writing is. It’s highly effective in most formal outlets, so give it a go in your next essay.

Perhaps these essay samples will also help you:

• I am completing this experiment in a very specific way as I’m seeking to find the most appropriate results.
• We will complete this test, seeking to find a solution. It’s important that we collaborate before moving forward.

5. With the Purpose Of

“With the purpose of” is similar to using “in an effort to” in a sentence. However, it’s a direct and formal choice that explicitly lets the reader know the expected purpose of your work.

We recommend including it when emailing an employee. It’s a good way to let them know of any changes to your business or any plans you might have.

This should help employees to understand what the end goal is. It keeps everyone in the loop (as long as they should be involved).

Here’s a great example to show you how to use it:

Dear Becky,

I am writing to you with the purpose of informing you of our plans. Please review the document I’ve included.

All the best,
Sean Wallace

6. As a Means To

You can also write “as a means to” in your essays. It works well instead of “in an effort to,” even though it doesn’t change too much about the original phrase.

Using “means” instead of “effort” will help you to mix things up. It shows you have a plan in place that relates to the “means” of the situation.

You should also review these examples:

• We have prepared the next stage as a means to demonstrate it to our clientele. It’s important they know our stance.
• I wrote it all out for you as a means to clarify some of it. Hopefully, things make a lot more sense now.

7. With the Objective Of

Objectives are important. It’s good to keep them in mind, especially in the workplace. With objectives, you can set yourself clear and specific targets to follow.

That’s where “with the objective of” comes in handy. It directly demonstrates your goals to any reader.

Of course, it’s pretty clear that “with the objective of” is a bit wordy. So, we only recommend using it once in an essay.

Any more times than that might water down your work. It’s best to try and keep things minimal to make your writing more efficient on the whole.

Check out the following examples if you’re still unsure:

• We will complete the project with the objective of finding out the best way to sell a product of this caliber.
• I will work towards this task with the objective of perfecting the procedure in mind. You can count on me.

8. To Strive For

It’s good to strive for goals and ideals. “To strive for” in itself is a great phrase to include in formal writing. It allows you to set specific targets.

Also, it’s a great way to let the reader know your plans. Keeping your reader in the loop ensures they understand what you’re trying to achieve.

So, let’s say you’re trying to achieve perfection in a project. You might want to write about how you “strive for” perfection to let people know that you will only accept the highest quality.

We also recommend reviewing the following examples:

• It’s important we work together on this to strive for greatness. Otherwise, there’s no point in our collaborative efforts.
• We should start working on this to strive for an early finish. Who would like to join me?

9. In an Attempt To

You should try to show why you’re achieving specific goals. Exploring your motives will help people to understand what your attempts are designed to achieve.

Thus, “in an attempt to” is a great formal alternative to “in an effort to.” We recommend replacing “effort” with “attempt” to keep things interesting in your writing.

Generally, this phrase works well in essay writing. It’s a good way to express your ideas or explain why someone might have a specific target.

Here are a few examples to help you with it:

• They tried to belittle him in an attempt to get the better of him. However, it did not work very well.
• It was all created in an attempt to confuse the public. So far, it has done the job well.

10. To Work Towards

To give your formal emails purpose, try “to work towards.” It shows recipients what you expect to achieve.

It’s great for showing you’re confident in an outcome. We certainly recommend it when you’re announcing changes to your team. That way, you can update everyone at the same time.

Perhaps this example can clear things up:

Dear Mathew,

I would like you to get started on this to work towards the deadline. Please let me know if you need assistance.

Kind regards,
Mark Lapiz

Is It Correct to Say “In an Effort To”?

It is correct to say “in an effort to.” It’s a useful phrase to include in a sentence to explain your goals.

However, it is a bit redundant. Generally, you can use “to” instead of “in an effort to.” It still indicates what you’re striving for, but it does it in much fewer words.

Nevertheless, this example will show you how to use “in an effort to” in a sentence:

• We had to change the system in an effort to prevent any more of the bugs.

Sometimes, you can change “effort” to the plural form. This only applies when referring to multiple goals (and it’s usually still more suitable to write “effort”).

For example:

• Correct: We are doing this in an effort to show them we are on their side.
• Correct: They have changed the system in efforts to prevent further loss and improve functionality.
• Incorrect: We should discuss this in effort to show people what we’re made of.

You may also like: “In Efforts To” vs. “In An Effort To” – Difference & Meaning Explained