in earnest

idiom

1

: in an earnest or serious way

The search began in earnest when the police arrived.

After light showers during the day, it began to rain in earnest in the evening.

It's hard to tell if he's making this proposal in earnest.

2

: not fooling : serious and sincere

We thought he was joking at first, but then we realized that he was in earnest.

Examples of in earnest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After dipping their toes in with a handful of EPs, Necropalace launches this new direction in earnest, leveling up to a bigger label with Century Media and presenting the band’s most extravagant, vampiric suite yet. —Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026

Work begins in earnest on Tuesday with the Rockies’ first full-squad workout. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026

The selloff in each began in earnest on Tuesday's announcement from wealth platform Altruist and continued for two more sessions . —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2026

Yet, the brooms are out, and the cleanup has begun in earnest, creating a sense that NASCAR pushed away the off-track drama that has distracted the league. —Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for in earnest

• internist
• sternest