convince

Janet was trying to convince or cause Phil to believe it was about to snow. The weather was warm, so nothing Janet said convinced or changed Phil’s mind. Janet mentioned that it was supposed to get colder later that day, but she still could not convince him or prove this. Phil finally told Janet to quit trying to convince or make him think it was going to snow—after all, it was the middle of summer!

Quiz: Try again! What are you doing if you are trying to convince someone of something?

• You are telling them all about your fun day at school.
• You are trying to get them to see things the way you do.
• You are asking them for some help with a problem that you’re having.

• In Houston, Nathaly Martinez said she didn’t think college was an option. . . . A conversation with her guidance counselor convinced her that it couldn’t hurt to apply. — USA Today
• “We spend all this time trying to convince kids to put their thinking forward even when they’re wrong,” she said. “We want to celebrate mistakes." — The Seattle Times