in earnest
idiom
1
: in an earnest or serious way
The search began in earnest when the police arrived.
After light showers during the day, it began to rain in earnest in the evening.
It's hard to tell if he's making this proposal in earnest.
2
: not fooling : serious and sincere
We thought he was joking at first, but then we realized that he was in earnest.
Examples of in earnest in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And with the President safely ensconced behind the castle walls, the royal charm offensive has begun in earnest.
—
Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
shane Croucher
jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Wolf attacks on cattle, which began in earnest in the summer of 2018, this year escalated to a degree that strained local law enforcement and terrified residents.
—Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Following the sketch, Stephen Colbert took the stage to present the award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, ostensibly so Bargatze could change into his tuxedo before returning to the stage to deliver his monologue in earnest.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Google Cloud research found that over 55% of global organizations now adopt platform engineering in earnest, not as an experiment but as a mainstream infrastructure backbone.
—Ian Amit, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in earnest
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Amanda Castro
hannah Parry
shane Croucher
jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Wolf attacks on cattle, which began in earnest in the summer of 2018, this year escalated to a degree that strained local law enforcement and terrified residents.
—Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Following the sketch, Stephen Colbert took the stage to present the award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, ostensibly so Bargatze could change into his tuxedo before returning to the stage to deliver his monologue in earnest.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
Google Cloud research found that over 55% of global organizations now adopt platform engineering in earnest, not as an experiment but as a mainstream infrastructure backbone.
—Ian Amit, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in earnest
Cite this Entry
“In earnest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20earnest. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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