1
as in winning
to receive as return for effort
during my teen years I earned pocket money by mowing lawns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deserving
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment)
you've earned the afternoon off after all that hard work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of earning
Households earning over $100,000 annually now account for roughly 75 percent of Walmart’s recent market share gains.
—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026
Those two will set the tone for Orlando and remain crucial to earning three points at home.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
The People’s Republic already boasts the largest fleet of civilian research vessels, earning criticism from western China hawks.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 2 Apr. 2026
Known for being flashy and a workaholic, he was rewarded handsomely for his efforts, earning multimillion yearly bonuses on top of eight-figure contracts.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
The cast’s press tour looks have been killer, with Meryl Streep’s earning a groundbreaking (wink, wink) rating from me.
—Eva Thomas, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
While these accounts have rates competitive with the top CDs, these rates are variable and subject to change based on market conditions, meaning that interest-earning projections are speculative and likely to change.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Families earning up to 300% of the area median income, as defined by HUD, would qualify.
—Christopher P. Desanctis, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Unsurprisingly, these areas also have high levels of low-income households earning less than $35,000, and tend to be smaller and more remote locations.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2026
Those two will set the tone for Orlando and remain crucial to earning three points at home.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
The People’s Republic already boasts the largest fleet of civilian research vessels, earning criticism from western China hawks.
—Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 2 Apr. 2026
Known for being flashy and a workaholic, he was rewarded handsomely for his efforts, earning multimillion yearly bonuses on top of eight-figure contracts.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
The cast’s press tour looks have been killer, with Meryl Streep’s earning a groundbreaking (wink, wink) rating from me.
—Eva Thomas, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
While these accounts have rates competitive with the top CDs, these rates are variable and subject to change based on market conditions, meaning that interest-earning projections are speculative and likely to change.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Families earning up to 300% of the area median income, as defined by HUD, would qualify.
—Christopher P. Desanctis, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2026
Unsurprisingly, these areas also have high levels of low-income households earning less than $35,000, and tend to be smaller and more remote locations.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earning
Verb
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Keller stymies defending champ Coppell Claire Garritson scored the game-winning goal in the second half and Keller hung on to beat defending state champion Coppell 2-1 in the Class 6A Division 1 Region 1 Final on Tuesday night at Keller High School.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Grammy-winning musician made her Broadway debut as Zidler in the classic musical on March 24.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Institute is designed to support emerging equity-deserving filmmakers and screen creatives across British Columbia and Canada.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
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Around the world, spas are often physically inaccessible, retreats off-limits by design, and practitioners limited in their ability and training to see disabled bodies as deserving of the restoration everyone so desperately needs.—
Sophie Morgan,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Among the most common varieties are white, whole wheat, and sourdough – but rye is another type that has been steadily gaining attention.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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As the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair, gaining Collins’ support will be crucial for the White House, as Republicans hold only a narrow majority in the upper chamber, making passage of more partisan legislation difficult without all GOP members on board.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Machado went on to enjoy a long career in avant-garde theater, garnering accolades for his striking and magnetic stage presence, despite his modest claims otherwise.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
30 Mar. 2026
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This content spread rapidly across X, Facebook, and other platforms, garnering tens of millions of views and adding confusion to the information environment surrounding the conflict.—
Steven Stalinsky,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Developing these frameworks is crucial to reaping value from AI in the long term.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
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Control of the island would cut off the oil revenue Iran has been reaping, as its tankers would no longer be able to use the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jamie McIntyre,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Miami Beach police arrested a 32-year-old man accused of making antisemitic remarks and threatening a father in front of his children at Stillwater Park.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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The union is also pushing for more flexibility in school-level decision-making and clearer guidelines around work hours and compensation for extended duties.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There is little comprehensive data on the number of people obtaining secondary passports or opening bank accounts overseas.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
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Its business strategy involves obtaining regulatory approval for a standardized commercial power reactor.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The novel used all these tensions to propel a study of greed, avarice, and racial divisions between the haves and have nots, leading to McCoy getting his comeuppance.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
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Without getting into spoilers, much of the tension rests on whether certain protagonists get caught.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earning. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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