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attaining

verb

present participle of attain
1
as in achieving
to obtain (as a goal) through effort Napoléon had attained mastery of much of Europe at that point

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in earning
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of attaining This older world is often focused on common American ideals of individualism and grit as the primary tools for attaining personal success. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 In other words, what happens when their agreeable or polite approach to attaining something doesn’t work? — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 But the White House cut its offices and weakened its ability to follow up with cases, as well as slashed funding to research on disparities that people of color face in getting diagnosed and attaining resources for disabilities. — Claire Sibonney, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 What came to me was a simple but valuable intuition that healing is not about attaining the grace of God, but about the loving freedom that comes from reflecting God! — Dilshad Khambatta Eames, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026 Financial firms are now gearing up to jump into the market in a different way, as executives like Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and KKR's Waldemar Szlezak see AI equipment attaining familiar money-making characteristics. — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026 One way to think about Mahler’s extravagant 90-minute exercise in his search for life’s meaning is as an exercise in attaining optimism in the face of tragedy. — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026 Interest in attaining at least a bare-bones understanding in computer science — and particularly AI-enhanced coding — has exploded across different majors. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 But while the landmark ruling reopens the path to citizenship for thousands worldwide, attaining it may be a different story. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attaining
  1. achieving
  2. earning
  3. winning
  4. gaining
  5. reaping
  6. obtaining
  7. garnering
  8. making
Verb
  • Orbit is Flight 14’s primary focus, and only by achieving that milestone can SpaceX move on to clear the rocket’s remaining hurdles.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
  • But achieving that level of pristineness is difficult and time consuming.
    — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of achieving
Verb
  • Students kick off the two-year capstone by earning their Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 card, a basic safety training program that serves as a common prerequisite for unionized construction jobs.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026
  • His feature directorial debut unspooled in front of a packed house at the festival, earning a long, jubilant standing ovation.
    — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of earning
Verb
  • Whilst Black was first a BBC Three pilot and then greenlit to full series, becoming one of the BBC’s most critically-rated of recent years and winning BAFTAs.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Dozens of people applied for a NO SMOG plate, and Reagan had to pluck the winning application out of a hat.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of winning
Verb
  • After a weekend of alarming headlines about AI mishaps, public sector breaches, and agents gaining unauthorized access to outside systems, tech and AI CEOs are descending on Washington yet again this week.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • For front doors, these colors have a historically charming appeal that designers see gaining traction.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of gaining
Verb
  • Victim of its own success However, the fact that demand for Novo’s products—and production—abroad is so massive means that its domestic economy isn’t reaping all the benefits.
    — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The tech sector of the S&P 500 has seen its forward price/earnings multiple contract from 29 to 21 in the past year with the market unwilling to extrapolate the profit surge in the absence of a clear path back to reaping oodles of free cash flow.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of reaping
Verb
  • The legislation followed growing complaints that brokers were obtaining reservations at Los Angeles municipal courses and reselling them, often advertising slots through social media, including the Korean messaging app KakaoTalk.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors say Rivera and his former wife transferred their interest to his sister without obtaining that permission.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of obtaining
Verb
  • The article went viral, garnering pushback from the LGBT community over how it was covered and more attention to the LGBT bar itself from conservative pundits, who questioned why the bar still had a mask mandate.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The fundraiser currently has 498 donations, garnering over $22,000 in just two weeks.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of garnering
Verb
  • Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand and the two countries can contribute to each other's success, thereby benefiting the wider world.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • But his collaborators helped turn Beck into a cultural product, making videos, shooting photos, providing musical inspiration for samples.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of making

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attaining
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Cite this Entry

“Attaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attaining. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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