1
as in achieves
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 earns
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 attains
But if a person seeking status is already wealthy or attains corporate sponsorship, for instance, a viable pathway to citizenship opens up, even if only slightly.
—
Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Gemini attains a very favorable position almost directly overhead.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Robert surreptitiously attains Alfred’s workbook/diary, where many secrets may exist.
—Kirk Honeycutt, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Gemini attains a very favorable position almost directly overhead.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Robert surreptitiously attains Alfred’s workbook/diary, where many secrets may exist.
—Kirk Honeycutt, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attains
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
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The awards place a premium on investigative and enterprising reporting that gains attention and achieves results, and honor special achievement in print, online, or broadcast journalism.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent – and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
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The sacrifice lands Eun-jae in the hospital, but also earns her Seong-sin’s complete trust and devotion.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Blackman High senior Blackman High senior Nicholas Cunningham wins Tennessean Student of the Week poll with more than 30,000 votes.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Feb. 2026
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Russia's Nikita Filippov wins 'skimo' silver for first Olympic 'AIN' medal.—
Alex Connor,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps some enterprising Democrat or Republican will come along who exhibits more faith in our constitutional system, governs with the foresight that there are more elections to come than just the next one — and reaps the benefits.—
David M. Drucker,
Twin Cities,
11 Feb. 2026
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And if the hypotheticals are not enough to dissuade, history is littered with teams trading away their future for immediate glories, seeing their plans implode, and being left with a ruinous future that becomes a hopeless present while another team reaps the benefits.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Later, Harper returns the favor, watching with rapt admiration when Eric pivots and gains a foothold during a CNN confrontation with Tender’s inscrutable CFO Whitney (Max Minghella), who is fighting against a new audit for his fiscally defunct company.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
15 Feb. 2026
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Germany, meanwhile, gains political flexibility and a partner more aligned with big-picture EU politics.—
Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The cool-girl pair garners plenty of praise, and the kicker?—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
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That doesn’t factor in the attention Cade Cunningham garners from defenders, which should generate open looks for Huerter.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before this hearing, a dependency investigator obtains medical records and interviews caregivers, babysitters, relatives, therapists, the kids themselves, and, ideally, the parents.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Details would still need to be finalized if the village obtains the grant.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the justices agree to hear oral arguments, the 90-day clock gets re-set, possibly pushing a final decision back to as late as October.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
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For its opening, the Costa Mesa location is offering a choice deal where $5 gets you two slices and a beverage.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attains. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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