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
Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Take control of your money with CNBC Select CNBC Select is editorially independent and may earn a commission from affiliate partners on links.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
In neighborhoods like NuLu, where old warehouses now house wine bars, cheese shops, and deeply personal restaurants, that sense of possibility feels not just palpable but earned.
—Hannah Howard, Travel + Leisure, 16 Jan. 2026
While the specific wages that Kaiser nurses earn can vary widely, open positions currently advertised on Kaiser’s jobs website give some idea of the range.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for earn
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Verb
Pack smarter with this puffy toiletry bag that earned Oprah’s stamp of approval and these packing cubes that keep clothes and accessories organized.
—Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
Take control of your money with CNBC Select CNBC Select is editorially independent and may earn a commission from affiliate partners on links.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 16 Jan. 2026
In neighborhoods like NuLu, where old warehouses now house wine bars, cheese shops, and deeply personal restaurants, that sense of possibility feels not just palpable but earned.
—Hannah Howard, Travel + Leisure, 16 Jan. 2026
While the specific wages that Kaiser nurses earn can vary widely, open positions currently advertised on Kaiser’s jobs website give some idea of the range.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 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 Jan. 2026.
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