EARNED Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

earned

verb

past tense of earn

as in won

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 deserved

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 earned Romero earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from California State University, Long Beach, in addition to her doctorate from UC Riverside. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026 Formed in 2012, Polaris broke through with 2017’s The Mortal Coil and 2020’s The Death of Me, both of which debuted in the Australian Top 10 and earned ARIA nominations for best hard rock/heavy metal album. — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2026 Miller earned his first yellow card for arguing a foul called on midfielder Philip Mayaka. — Idaho Statesman, 4 Oct. 2026 Stubb’s biography, personality and vision have earned him a sizable and influential global audience. — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 Alas, its path appears quite challenging, given that Digger earned a C+ CinemaScore from audiences and holds a 51 percent approval from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026 Las Vegas earned a 94-83 victory and eliminated Indiana for the second consecutive season. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Every Time Best known for its Milk fragrance collection, DedCool has earned a following for its easy-to-wear scents. — Vivien Lee, InStyle, 3 Oct. 2026 Ravens earned the first win of the night In a thrilling twist, the Ravens actually captured our attention by narrowly avoiding overtime with a field goal in the final second of the game! — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earned

Verb

And in 2008, the owner of a formalwear company won a roughly $850,000 judgment against Peter over unpaid loans to finance his business.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
The original series won the Golden Globe for best drama in 2019 and routinely lands near the top of lists hailing the best TV series of the past quarter century.

— Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of won

Verb

Williams ultimately concluded that Ramirez’s assistance in recovering assets deserved additional weight, effectively giving him a 35% cooperation reduction.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Wider Releases Couldn’t Save These Flops Some films deserved better rubrics for success.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of deserved

Verb

Pulse oximeters gained prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, offering anyone a handheld tool to take stock of their blood oxygen level.

— Anil Oza, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Gordon gained two yards on a first down run, and Willis then threw errantly on a pressured throw to Jalen Tolbert that would have gone nowhere even if it had been completed.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of gained

Verb

But even with an issue that’s garnered significant bipartisan support, Congress has still struggled to tackle it in recent years.

— Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
In the first six months alone, Goldman has advised on more than $1 trillion in mergers and garnered over $12 billion in equities revenue.

— Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of garnered

Verb

However, his firm has reaped strong gains from its Phoenix investment, cashing out a quarter of its stake in July for more than $340 million – a return of more than five times its initial stock purchase.

— Allegra Goodwin, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
All three are allegedly part of Ghost Town, a notorious gang from West Oakland that made headlines last year for a brazen high-end robbery spree that reaped hundreds of thousands of dollars and left victims traumatized, according to court records.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of reaped

Verb

The warrant was obtained a day before he was arrested and for days afterwards police were pictured searching Mountbatten-Windsor’s propeties in Sandringham and on the Windsor estate.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Hill’s memo, obtained by the Observer and other news outlets, raised concerns about ties between board members and CMS contractors and political involvement of CMS representatives.

— Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of obtained

Verb

Growing up amid high divorce rates has also made younger couples more conscious of protecting their financial independence.

— Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
The Belgium–Netherlands–Italy co-production, directed by Brecht Debackere, made its world premiere in May at the Cannes Film Festival.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of made

Verb

If another worker with a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas PPO plan got the same drug at the same Houston Methodist hospital, an employer could be paying almost six times as much, or nearly $4,400 for a vial.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
A little less than 18 months ago, Ukraine carried out a sneak drone attack in which forces smuggled them into Russian territory and waited until the truck that was unknowingly carrying them got close to Russian bases.

— Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of got

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earn

earned

earnest

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“Earned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earned. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of earned

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