EARN Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

earn

verb

ˈərn

Definition of earn

as in to win

to receive as return for effort during my teen years I earned pocket money by mowing lawns

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deserve

to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment) you've earned the afternoon off after all that hard work

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 earn The latter competed at the festival and earned its star Charlotte Rampling the Volpi Cup for best actress. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 There’s no question Andrew Scott, the 49-year-old Irish actor, has earned his position as one of the finest contemporary actors going. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 The 4-year-old pooch previously earned a Guinness World Record for the fastest 10-hoop slalom by a dog in 2024. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026 The players earned the bragging rights, and the style followed. — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for earn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earn

Verb

The contestants will have to design a wedding dress that showcases their style, and the winning design will be produced and sold by David’s Bridal.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
In the final moments of the game, Chad scores the game-winning touchdown, but a penalty sets them back with just two seconds left on the clock.

— Tanya Fedak, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of win

Verb

Linking with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Yeremy Pino — the Spain international deserved an assist for an exquisite outside-of-the-boot pass earlier on — Anan Khalaili made a fine third-man run at the end of a dozen passes.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
There should be no information shared with that committee that does not deserve the light of day shone brightly upon it.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of deserve

Verb

Aflac initially gained a bigger profile after introducing its duck mascot in 1999, in ads crafted by Kaplan Thaler Group, an independent agency that was eventually acquired by Publicis Groupe of France.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
For example, a South Florida cop trying to find a vehicle could search and find a person’s information from thousands of miles away in other states, a selling point that gained Flock dozens of law enforcement contracts, the Herald found.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of gain

Verb

Tavares, 11 days shy of his 36th birthday, hopes to reap some benefits from the living arrangement, too.

— Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
In today’s music industry, when artists aren’t reaping the full benefits of the recording economy because of streaming platforms, the live experience is as vital as ever.

— Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of reap

Verb

Turek is garnering 46% of the vote to Hinson’s 42%, while Libertarian candidate Thomas Laehn is getting 6%, and 6% of voters are undecided, according to the survey from Global Strategy Group conducted for Turek’s campaign.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Over the next few years in Indianapolis (2018-2022) and with the Arizona Cardinals (2023-2024), Adams’ rushing offenses finished outside the top 11 only once and garnered three top-five finishes.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of garner

Verb

Singapore pays its political leaders high salaries to attract talent and deter graft, but the issue is thorny in the city-state, where the median wage worker made S$5,775 ($736) a month in 2025.

— Reuters, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
Washington has recently toyed with price controls on credit cards through interest-rate caps and restrictions on late fees, as if credit can be made cheaper by government order.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of make

Verb

In the initial complaint obtained by USA TODAY, Said claimed she was placed on an all-male team that included Gutman and two other crew members.

— Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Only 15% had a criminal conviction, according to a Tribune analysis of federal data obtained by the research group Deportation Data Project.

— Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of obtain

Verb

Turek is garnering 46% of the vote to Hinson’s 42%, while Libertarian candidate Thomas Laehn is getting 6%, and 6% of voters are undecided, according to the survey from Global Strategy Group conducted for Turek’s campaign.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026
However, when the UK is involved, things get more complicated.

— Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of get

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earmarks

earn

earned

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Earn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earn. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of earn

verb

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