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 search began in earnest just before 7 p.m. but was halted several times as passing storms made conditions unsafe.
—
Matthew Cupelli, IndyStar, 7 July 2025
The money began flowing in earnest in 2006, with a five-year $945 million allocation, and has since reached a total so far of roughly $5 billion, funding university labs and research centers around the U.S.
—Caren Zucker, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
The exodus began in earnest in 2022 and 2023, when USC and UCLA announced their departure to the Big Ten, followed by Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
His popularity will be tested in earnest when voters head to the polls in the November 2026 midterms.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in earnest
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Matthew Cupelli, IndyStar, 7 July 2025
The money began flowing in earnest in 2006, with a five-year $945 million allocation, and has since reached a total so far of roughly $5 billion, funding university labs and research centers around the U.S.
—Caren Zucker, The Atlantic, 6 July 2025
The exodus began in earnest in 2022 and 2023, when USC and UCLA announced their departure to the Big Ten, followed by Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado.
—Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
His popularity will be tested in earnest when voters head to the polls in the November 2026 midterms.
—Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 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 15 Jul. 2025.
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