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

Jones, who works at Goodwin Sports, the agency that represents Lillard, began working on Move in earnest in 2019. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026

Early labor started overnight, but began in earnest the following morning. — Trinity Mouzon Wofford, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026

After this show, Drake’s descendants began in earnest their mission to reclaim ownership of the art. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Then, in 1899, Fayet inherited the family estate and began collecting in earnest, acquiring his first Renoirs and Gauguins. — Julie Coe, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for in earnest

• internist
• sternest