as in dedicating
to keep or intend for a special purpose
the earnings from my second job have been earmarked for a down payment on a car
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Recent Examples of earmarking
The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate, but some Republicans rejected the bill, opposing earmarking millions more to maintain the fortified Capitol and equip it with the staff necessary to keep the screenings going.
—
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
In 2016, city voters passed Proposition H, with 64% in favor of the city earmarking tax money for infrastructure repairs.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
The Senate is earmarking $2 million, while the House doesn’t put any money towards the initiative.
—Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
At a time when colleges and universities have spent considerable money on new athletic stadiums, student fitness centers, multi-level food courts, and million-dollar salaries for football and basketball coaches, earmarking money for high quality campus security continues to be problematic.
—Rick Pozniak, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The process of earmarking potential barrels begins years in advance.
—Emily Price, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
In 2016, city voters passed Proposition H, with 64% in favor of the city earmarking tax money for infrastructure repairs.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
The Senate is earmarking $2 million, while the House doesn’t put any money towards the initiative.
—Ana Goñi-Lessan, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
At a time when colleges and universities have spent considerable money on new athletic stadiums, student fitness centers, multi-level food courts, and million-dollar salaries for football and basketball coaches, earmarking money for high quality campus security continues to be problematic.
—Rick Pozniak, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The process of earmarking potential barrels begins years in advance.
—Emily Price, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earmarking
Verb
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Jarvis worked hard to create Mother’s Day, writing letters to churches, politicians, and city leaders, and eventually, a resolution was passed in Congress, dedicating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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Highland Park's decades-long DART membership Highland Park had also been part of DART since 1983, dedicating one cent of its local sales tax, the maximum allowed under state law for transit, to the agency.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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By the 1970s, editors tried to distinguish their op-ed pages from others, but most adopted the common practice of devoting most, if not all, of their op-ed pages to outside voices.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
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Nothing will ever undo the original sin, and devoting your life to ruining someone else’s is a loss for both of you.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Aether enthusiasts contorted themselves in knots attempting to explain this null result while still saving the notion of the aether itself.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
-
Patrick Kestler, a gang expert who has been following Jones and Gorman throughout their storied rap careers, analyzing their lyrics, saving their Instagram posts, and even searching through Gorman’s phone after he was arrested last year on suspicion of possessing ammunition as a felon in Stockton.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earmarking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earmarking. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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