earned; earning; earns
1
a
: to receive as return for effort and especially for work done or services rendered
b
: to bring in by way of return
bonds earning 10 percent interest
2
a
: to come to be duly worthy of or entitled or suited to
she earned a promotion
b
: to make worthy of or obtain for
the suggestion earned him a promotion
earner
noun
Examples of earn in a Sentence
Verb (1)
during my teen years I earned pocket money by mowing lawns
you've earned the afternoon off after all that hard work
Recent Examples on the Web
Ryley Amond, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025
Forty percent of the units will be affordable, available to people earning up to 120% of the area’s median income, or about $100,000 for one person.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
The sandy shores are combed for seaweed and trash nightly, which earned the town a Blue Wave certification.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
Five of the major award winners from 2024 – Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Tarik Skubal, Pat Murphy and Stephen Vogt – earned the same trophies for 2025, while Paul Skenes graduated from Rookie of the Year to Cy Young.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earn
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Verb
That would put premium cards earning higher rewards rates and access to luxury perks, like airport lounges, at risk.
—Ryley Amond, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025
Forty percent of the units will be affordable, available to people earning up to 120% of the area’s median income, or about $100,000 for one person.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
The sandy shores are combed for seaweed and trash nightly, which earned the town a Blue Wave certification.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025
Five of the major award winners from 2024 – Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Tarik Skubal, Pat Murphy and Stephen Vogt – earned the same trophies for 2025, while Paul Skenes graduated from Rookie of the Year to Cy Young.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earn
Cite this Entry
“Earn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earn. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
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