Small steps by timid leaders had proved unavailing for a century.

The urban poor tried valiantly to give to their dead a dignity they had scarcely known in life; but the attempt often proved unavailing.

The precautions taken by this seemingly obscure retired politician proved unavailing.

The move to New England "proved unavailing" and the company eventually closed by 1963.

None of the servants knew the combination, and Weston's guesswork at the dial proved quite unavailing.

Her mother's complaints to school authorities proved unavailing.

For weeks the efforts to close the crevasse had proven unavailing.

Trailing by 12, Virginia resorted to fouling in an attempt to catch up, a strategy that proved unavailing.

But Loma Linda's effort proved unavailing in any case.

However, even these specific statutory exceptions have proven unavailing to knife owners at times.