give it one's best shot

verb

To make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.

“I didn't win the contest, but I sure gave it my best shot.”

Similar
give it the old college trygive one's allgo all outpull out all the stopsdo one's utmostleave it all on the fieldempty the tank
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Meanings

verbgive it one's best shot (third-person singular simple present gives it one's best shot, present participle giving it one's best shot, simple past gave it one's best shot, past participle given it one's best shot)

present singular third person gives it one's best shot · participle present giving it one's best shot · past gave it one's best shot · participle past given it one's best shot · alternative take one's best shot

  1. idiomaticTo make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.

    I didn't win the contest, but I sure gave it my best shot.

    1 more example

    Near-synonyms: give it the old college try; give one's all, go all out, pull out all the stops, do one's utmost, leave it all on the field, empty the tank

    Synonyms: give it the old college try, give one's all, go all out, pull out all the stops, do one's utmost, leave it all on the field, empty the tank

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo make one's best effort or attempt; to try as hard as possible.

Similar
give it the old college trygive one's allgo all outpull out all the stopsdo one's utmostleave it all on the fieldempty the tank
Also see
do one's bestgive 110%give one's allgive something a tryleave it all on the field
Cite this entry
APA

give it one's best shot. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20it%20one's%20best%20shot

MLA

“give it one's best shot.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20it%20one's%20best%20shot. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give it one's best shot,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20it%20one's%20best%20shot.

Source: give it one's best shot on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.