The phrase ‘to no avail’ means that an effort or attempt was made, but it was unsuccessful or did not achieve the desired result. Essentially, it indicates that despite the efforts put into a task, they yielded no positive outcome.
For example, if someone says, ‘I tried to fix the car, but to no avail,’ it means that despite their attempts to fix the car, they were unsuccessful in doing so.
In summary, ‘to no avail’ emphasizes the futility of an action, highlighting that whatever was done did not help in achieving what was intended.