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 The quarterback Mike Macdonald has earned his paychecks from making quarterbacks uncomfortable. — Sam McDowell 25, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026 On every floor, display cabinets overflow with magic wands, sparkly hats, silk scarves, handcuffs, dice, Rubik's Cubes, toys, photographs and dozens of trophies earned by students in competitions all over the world. — Julie Bourdin, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026 Earlier, Marcus Thuram scored and then earned the penalty kick that decided Inter’s 2-1 win over visiting Fiorentina. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 The antihero adaptation earned another $19 million overseas from 76 markets for a global tally of $43 million. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026 Utah received one first-place vote in Week 8, while Ohio State picked up 10, and the Hurricanes earned 59. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 Cannon had earned a degree in medicine, a rarity for women at the time. — Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 Inside linebackers Bobby Okereke and Devin Lloyd each earned a sack, and without the worry of Hurts’ scrambling ability, this defensive front-seven thrived. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026 The Cougars earned their first win over a top-10 opponent since 2018. — John Coon, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earned

Verb

Milwaukee’s only other MLB championship was won in 1957 by the Braves, who moved to Atlanta for the 1966 season.

— Rob Maaddi, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
The ‘Dogs sophomore setter, Kohen Kazmierczak, fed junior middle hitter Eden Knapp for two crucial kills as their team won six of the final seven points to prevail.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of won

Verb

At the time of his re-signing, head coach Andy Reid said that the running back matured, took accountability and deserved a second chance with the club.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
However, most of our respondents said that Barcelona midfielder Patri Guijarro deserved the crown, and her former team-mate Putellas was down in third place.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of deserved

Verb

Google’s agent debuted this spring and since then has expanded access, added more connections to a range of sources, and gained new visibility as part of the Gemini app’s redesign.

— Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
From a career-high 155 yards from Javonte Williams to the defense making just enough stops to allow the offense to do its thing, the Cowboys gained a little bit of their swagger back in the City of Brotherly Love.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of gained

Verb

The show’s soundtrack also garnered critical acclaim, with many of the covers performed by the cast making the Billboard Hot 100.

— Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
There has been a long-running legal effort to win a new trial in the case that has garnered national attention and was the subject of a podcast.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of garnered

Verb

In a video obtained by TMZ, a man the outlet identified as Perez is shown taking out a large butcher’s knife from his black sweatshirt pocket.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Paul’s body was found wrapped in a carpet and covered with a blue tarp on the kitchen floor, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

— Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of obtained

Verb

In a statement, district officials stated the cancellation was made considering sensitive themes in the musical, including an abusive relationship and romantic storylines, the Star-Telegram previously reported.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2026
The fact that Haslem became a mentor for Adebayo and developed a close friendship with him during their six seasons as Heat teammates made the moment especially meaningful.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of made

Verb

To add to it, backup running back Tyler Goodson got his most burn as a Cowboy, rushing for 38 yards on 10 carries.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
It's got a set of pedals, as well as a twist-throttle on the right bar, controlling a 750-W nominal, 1,310-W peak, 85-Nm (63-lb-ft) electric motor between the rear wheels.

— Loz Blain October 26, New Atlas, 27 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 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of earned

verb

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