as in dedicates
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 earmarks
U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Josephides earmarks the Greek island of Samos as one of the next destinations to go through this cycle.
—Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Instead of turning off this flow of free money, how about the city simply earmarks existing taxes on these properties to create an affordable housing fund?
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Josephides earmarks the Greek island of Samos as one of the next destinations to go through this cycle.
—Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earmarks
Verb
-
The Legislature should build on the success of the recent constitutional amendment, Proposition 4, approved by voters, which dedicates funding to securing Texas’ long-term water supply through infrastructure improvements and new water projects.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The layout seen in Yukon and in Wolfforth, Texas, dedicates more than 1,600 square feet to the market area alone.—
Jeff Elkins,
Oklahoman,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This perception of tatreez, or traditional Palestinian embroidery, as a type of visual language is widely shared, owing to its intimacy with the land and biographical characteristics.—
Zoe Whitfield,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
-
In vacating the life prison term in 2024, Cook County Judge Marc Martin found in part that Modrowski had been unfairly portrayed as emotionless and cold during his 1995 trial and sentencing proceedings when the characteristics were likely due to his autism.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, the saddest novel ever written, devotes some space to the description of just such a device, the earliest example of a fictional machine capable of writing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
-
But the governor also devotes several pages to providing his side of the story from the 2024 search for a vice-presidential candidate, after Harris wrote a detailed account of the traditionally secretive process, which included a less-than-warm meeting with Shapiro.—
Toluse Olorunnipa,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In 2025 alone, the Moroccan Cinematographic Center (CCM) backed 23 foreign features through the incentive scheme, generating more than $165 million in local investment.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The film marks a buzzy return to the theatrical features for Belgian director and producer Frank Van Passel, best known for Cannes breakout and Oscar entry Mannekin Pis and Villa des Roses, with more recent credits including mystery thriller series Moresnet.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This enables, for example, ultra-fast charging while requiring only thinner cables, which saves weight and costs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Five minutes of sorting your meds into an efficient pill organizer saves space for far more important things (like an extra pair of shoes).—
Carin Ryan,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Personality traits such as mental toughness, discipline, high pain tolerance and persistence may also lead to worsened eating disorder risk and behaviors in athletes.—
Emily Hemendinger,
The Conversation,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Because so many anatomical and physiological traits differ between the two animals, the specific impact of limb mass distribution could not be isolated.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Players, within the same age range, can be grouped by physical attributes, play-driving, overall style and production, among other factors.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Without the correct attributes — competitiveness, mindset, IQ, internal drive — Donovan fears a young player could flounder in Chicago.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In Downtown, people are now living in greater fear—poverty and desperation, as well as substance dependence and worsening mental health, have driven up interpersonal conflict in the neighborhood and depressed home values, leaving more properties and lots vacant or derelict.—
Emily Galvin Almanza,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Stephanie McHugh, a New London tenant union member, said out-of-state landlords especially are buying up properties and raising rents or evicting existing tenants.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earmarks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earmarks. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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