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
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
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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And after dedicating much of the past 20 years to speedskating — after moving to Salt Lake City to train six years ago and after deciding that these Milan Cortina Winter Olympics would be his last, gold or bust — Lehman wanted to earn it.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
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That infrastructure, including painting the far right lane red and dedicating it for buses only, will come, but it will be phased in over time.—
John Shumway,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Firm research shows mom-and-pop investors are typically devoting only a small portion of their overall portfolios to these speculative plays, while keeping most of their money in more traditional investments.—
Yun Li,Kate Rooney,Alex Harring,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
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The state is devoting $50 million in federal grant funding this year to cancer screening, prevention and treatment.—
Virginia Barreda,
Des Moines Register,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The result is a sector doing critical, often life-saving work while operating on financial quicksand.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Millions of people donate blood each year, saving countless lives.—
Maryna Holovnova,
New Atlas,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earmarking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earmarking. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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