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
His role as a pusher is key in helping the sled attain top speed.
—
American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
Perhaps more remarkable is how quickly it's attained its $380 billion valuation.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
That figure marks a significant drop from a recent peak attained in 2023, but borrowing costs remain well above a 0% rate established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
And, as Steve Buckley writes, political spats are more risky for Olympic athletes who haven’t yet attained mainstream fame.
—Zack Pierce, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attain
American-Statesman Staff, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
Perhaps more remarkable is how quickly it's attained its $380 billion valuation.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
That figure marks a significant drop from a recent peak attained in 2023, but borrowing costs remain well above a 0% rate established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
And, as Steve Buckley writes, political spats are more risky for Olympic athletes who haven’t yet attained mainstream fame.
—Zack Pierce, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attain
Verb
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Prototype achieves high capacity and industrial-scale metrics At the core of the prototype is a conductive polymer known as poly(benzodifurandione), or PBFDO.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
-
Who in the world has either achieved so much or been beaten up so badly to need to quit at 16?—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services.—
USA Today staff,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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China’s Xu Mengtao and Wang Xindi both won aerial skiing gold medals in the men's and women's events this week, earning them a matching set of hardware to take home from the Milan Cortina Games.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Aztecs won both games amid a six-game winning streak, but attendance dropped in each of their final three home games.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
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The winning bid for the rare card was placed by venture capitalist AJ Scaramucci, the son of former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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With diesel engines remaining popular among Australian ute buyers and hybrids gaining ground, the company appears to be positioning the KP31 at the intersection of both trends.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
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Recent polling data indicates Republican candidates have gained competitive ground, with conservative commentator Steve Hilton leading the field at 17% support, followed by Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Chad Bianco tied at 14%, suggesting the race structure favors neither party decisively.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Another narrative suggests software firms have overspent on AI and won’t reap sufficient returns on their investments.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
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Too far, and your plants are unlikely to reap the benefits of the humidity generated.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In 1991, Epstein obtained power of attorney from Wexner, which enabled him to buy and sell assets on Wexner’s behalf.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Fefferman questioned why board members and the public have struggled to obtain detailed financial information.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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No candidate in the governor’s race garnered the 60% delegate support needed for party endorsement.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
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Expanding these summits by garnering more partnerships is how Lutzenkirchen finds another gear in this second decade after his son’s death.—
Doug Turnbull for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
AJC.com,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And despite some changes (like the location), what remains the same is judges making the biggest cuts of the season.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
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But for the strides the Bruins made, and Dent’s clutch shot to hold significance, UCLA needs to apply that intensity to all four of its regular-season games, the Big Ten Tournament and into March Madness.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attain. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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