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
By 2010, Burmese refugees started arriving in earnest.
—
Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The Mets began their comeback in earnest when Vientos homered in the third.
—Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
The all-electric SUV was first revealed at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, but didn’t make it to driveways and garages until the end of 2024 and started arriving (slowly) in earnest in April.
—Sasha Lekach, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
In January, the Indiana State Prison re-imagination process began in earnest with a public input session.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in earnest
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Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The Mets began their comeback in earnest when Vientos homered in the third.
—Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2025
The all-electric SUV was first revealed at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show, but didn’t make it to driveways and garages until the end of 2024 and started arriving (slowly) in earnest in April.
—Sasha Lekach, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
In January, the Indiana State Prison re-imagination process began in earnest with a public input session.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in earnest
Cite this Entry
“In earnest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20earnest. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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