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

The Underground Railroad, never a formal system, had existed virtually as long as people held slaves, but began operating in earnest in the 1830s and through the Civil War’s end in 1865. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025

The jubilee began in earnest in Lexington and Concord on April 19, 2025—the anniversary of the shot heard round the world, marking the start of the war—with an early-morning battle reënactment, and very tasty cider doughnuts. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

The Rockies’ rebuild under Paul DePodesta, the new president of baseball operations, begins in earnest on Monday at baseball’s general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025

And, for the savvy bettor, that can mean scooping up favorable futures odds on the NCAA champion market before the games begin in earnest. —Jim Root, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for in earnest

• internist
• sternest