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
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Students would take classes on subjects such as the New Testament, advanced geometry, and rhetoric, and earn a liberal-arts degree in Catholic studies.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
As mayor, Mamdani is set to earn a salary of $258,750 this year.
—CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Orlando Ribalta earned his first career save.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for earn
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Across his final two collegiate seasons at Houston and LSU, Haulcy totaled 162 tackles, eight interceptions and 12 pass breakups, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024 and All-SEC recognition in 2025.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Students would take classes on subjects such as the New Testament, advanced geometry, and rhetoric, and earn a liberal-arts degree in Catholic studies.
—Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
As mayor, Mamdani is set to earn a salary of $258,750 this year.
—CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
Orlando Ribalta earned his first career save.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for earn
Cite this Entry
“Earn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earn. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
