1
as in to achieve
to obtain (as a goal) through effort
Napoléon had attained mastery of much of Europe at that point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to earn
to receive as return for effort
with hard work she will inevitably attain success in her chosen profession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attain
Rightly considered a supercar in its day, Aston Martin’s DB5 is arguably the first vehicle to attain superstar status as well, thanks to playing the sidekick of covert operative James Bond in the 1964 film Goldfinger.
—
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
Expect to attain power, leadership, kudos, awards, promotions and acknowledgement from others for your achievements.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
The storm hit 75 mph winds to attain hurricane status on Saturday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
In other words, the goonstate, so central to the subculture’s branding and self-conception, is only rarely attained.
—Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attain
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2025
Expect to attain power, leadership, kudos, awards, promotions and acknowledgement from others for your achievements.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 25 Oct. 2025
The storm hit 75 mph winds to attain hurricane status on Saturday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
In other words, the goonstate, so central to the subculture’s branding and self-conception, is only rarely attained.
—Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attain
Verb
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As this brief survey suggests, the patriots’ success in drawing foreign partners into the war was essential to achieving American independence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Sustainable transformation isn’t achieved by a mandate; instead, it’s driven by leaders who focus on people first.—
Feon Ang,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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With their four nominations, HUNTR/X becomes the first K-pop girl group to earn Grammy nominations, and one of two acts (alongside ROSÉ of Blackpink) to earn nominations in the same year, another first for the genre.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
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Brown and Harbour have earned two Emmy noms each, with Harbour and Ryder also garnering Golden Globe nods.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Cardell Williams completed 8 of 11 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns to speedster Ernest Campbell as the Hornets won for the sixth time in their last eight outings with two conference games to go.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Mike Vrabel has breathed life into the New England Patriots, guiding them to a 7-2 start while riding a six-game winning streak despite fielding a roster that still has its fair share of deficiencies.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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If Enceladus doesn’t gain enough energy, its surface activity would slow down or stop, and the ocean could eventually freeze.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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A week after a 27-10 road win at Syracuse, North Carolina turned in a dreadful first half against Stanford (3-7, 2-5 ACC), gaining only 47 total yards on its way to a 3-3 halftime tie.—
Justin Williams,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The following year, production was 3,000 kilos from three hectares, and in 2005, 5,000 kilos were reaped from five hectares.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
5 Nov. 2025
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But, don’t let high price tags prevent you from reaping their benefits.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The list of airports, obtained by ABC News and CBS News, includes Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International and airports in Louisville and Indianapolis.—
Cheryl Vari,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Nov. 2025
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On Wednesday, in documents obtained by Rolling Stone, a California superior court judge overseeing the lawsuit ruled in favor of Kardashian and the anti-SLAPP motion, effectively dismissing the other Cantu’s lawsuit, though the judge left open the possibility of an appeal.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Who Are the ‘MD Foodie Boyz’ The MD Foodie Boyz are a group of four friends from Maryland who have garnered some online fame from their food-centric podcast.—
Stephanie Ganz,
Parents,
3 Nov. 2025
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To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have garnered 620 wins and 2,816 award nominations, including the multi-Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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These conditions make travel difficult.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Qianlong took a page from the design of private gardens in southern China to make the layout more compact, and divided the site into four connected courtyards, two of which are currently open to the public, from south to north.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attain. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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