in earnest

phrase

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

That’s the stage the pop superstar and NFL TE are at right now, and just in time for Kelce’s preparations for the upcoming NFL season to begin in earnest. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 Aug. 2026

But his impressive assemblage of watches began in earnest years later. — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

The white paper notes that the data center boom began in earnest by the end of 2023, so assets from before the start of 2024 will be less affected by the new tax. — Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2026

After schlepping his way up to P-town, spying on Nancy smooching a guy from work, and being thrown out of a local eatery known as the Flagship for drunken assholery, Bourdain begins his journey in earnest. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for in earnest

• internist
• sternest