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
David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Tubbs didn’t throw for over 100 yards in Aledo’s first six games, but has steadily shown improvement as a pocket passer and has earned the trust of the team.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Dec. 2025
The payment would be limited to people who earn up to 700% of the federal poverty level − $109,550 for an individual or $225,050 for a family of four in 2025.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Before Williams, only Popovich earned $10 million per year.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earn
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Verb
Paramount, having been spurned at the bidding stage, has launched an all-cash, aggressive takeover as its next move, going directly to shareholders in the hopes of earning their approval.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2025
Tubbs didn’t throw for over 100 yards in Aledo’s first six games, but has steadily shown improvement as a pocket passer and has earned the trust of the team.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Dec. 2025
The payment would be limited to people who earn up to 700% of the federal poverty level − $109,550 for an individual or $225,050 for a family of four in 2025.
—Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Before Williams, only Popovich earned $10 million per year.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 10 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 12 Dec. 2025.
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