Verb
apply oneself (third-person singular simple present applies oneself, present participle applying oneself, simple past and past participle applied oneself)
(idiomatic) Synonym of strive: to work hard, to complete an activity with good effort and focus.
His parents wish he had applied himself better while he was in school, but he couldn't give a toss.
To apply oneself to great inventions, starting from the smallest beginnings, is no task for ordinary minds; to divine that wonderful arts lie hid behind trivial and childish things is a conception for superhuman talents. Galileo Galilei