garner

verb

gar·​ner ˈgär-nər How to pronounce garner (audio)
garnered; garnering ˈgär-nə-riŋ How to pronounce garner (audio)
ˈgärn-
Synonyms of garnernext

transitive verb

1
a
: to gather into storage
b
: to deposit as if in a granary
… volumes in which he has garnered the fruits of his lifetime labors.Reinhold Niebuhr
2
a
: to acquire by effort : earn
garnered much praise for his fundraising

Examples of garner in a Sentence

She garnered more evidence to support her theory. The senator has spent much time garnering financial support for his upcoming campaign. The novel has garnered much praise and several awards.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The cool-girl pair garners plenty of praise, and the kicker? Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026 Girls’ participation is booming — between the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, 25,000 more girls signed up for high school flag football and it was offered in nearly 1,000 more schools — in a trend that’s garnering significant coverage and celebration. Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026 No other telecast garnered even half that audience in 2025. Randall Williams, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026 African films depicting same-sex relationships have historically been censored on the continent, including those that garnered international accolades. Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for garner

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (Scots), from Middle English gerner, garner granary, from Anglo-French gerner, grenier, from Latin granarium, from granum grain — more at corn

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of garner was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Garner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garner. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

garner

verb
gar·​ner ˈgär-nər How to pronounce garner (audio)
1
: to gather into storage
2
a
: to acquire by effort : earn

Biographical Definition

Garner

biographical name

Gar·​ner ˈgär-nər How to pronounce Garner (audio)
John Nance 1868–1967 American politician; vice president of the U.S. (1933–41)

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