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

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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

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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 Two seasons later, Dryer earned his one and only Pro Bowl nod. — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 July 2026 Will Richard does all of the little things With the regular Warriors squad, Will Richard earned his minutes by doing all of the unglamorous things on the court. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 Colombia earned its passage into the round of 16 with a 1-0 win over stubborn Ghana. — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 Bellinger earned his third All-Star selection but first since 2019. — Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 Designed to last years in the pantry, it’s earned a permanent place in kitchens across the world. — Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 July 2026 Lange earned his eighth save since taking over the closer role. — Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026 Just four minutes after Bellingham’s second, the Mexicans earned a free kick in a dangerous spot in the England end. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026 Toby officially earned the title after finding his forever home with Delaney Henderson, who adopted the polydactyl kitten as a companion for her other rescue cat, Connie, in 2025. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earned

Verb

Vibes were good among volunteers and visitors from around the world and every corner of the United States — and among stadium staffers, who won raises in a late-breaking contract agreement that resulted in increases to more than $30 per hour.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Within the span of a month, New York City has won a historic NBA Championship, hosted the wedding of the era for Taylor Swift, and now rap titan Jay-Z will deliver three massive shows in his hometown.

— Caché McClay, USA Today, 11 July 2026

Definition of won

Verb

Everyone has put in a tremendous amount of work and effort, and deserved to be [nominated].

— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
To call Joshua White the finest homegrown jazz pianist to emerge in San Diego over the past 20 years is high praise, but also well-deserved.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026

Definition of deserved

Verb

Why LLMs struggle with spreadsheets Part of why structured data has garnered less attention is a very human bias, argues Boris van Breugel, a senior AI researcher based in Amsterdam.

— Benjamin Skuse, IEEE Spectrum, 9 July 2026
The 10-mile Underline project, which garnered extensive public and political support, has been managed by the county public works and transportation department at a construction cost nearing $150 million.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026

Definition of garnered

Verb

Since 2013, Chevron has consistently charged the highest gas prices in the state and reaped the biggest profit margins.

— Jerry McNerney, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
So many of those parcels had been seized, stolen, or abandoned, or else were ticking away into the high season, cash millions worth of cannabis sown and soon to be reaped.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026

Definition of reaped

Verb

Following an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, investigators obtained a felony warrant for Lopez Nunez’s arrest.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Part of the system integrates with third-party cameras, meaning while the Flock-specific cameras may only log vehicle data, opponents allege other identifying factors of people could be obtained by third-party collaborators.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Definition of obtained

Verb

The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways said teams were working to repair the damage and restore the route, and that other arrangements are being made to transport passengers to Mashhad via road, IRIB said.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
Talks with Occhiuto were cordial, but Hammer made clear that alternative sources of international staff would be highly appreciated.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026

Definition of made

Verb

Kansas City got just a small taste of the magnetic fever over Lionel Messi, the global superstar who is regarded as one of the best ever to kick a ball.

— PJ Green July 13, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026
Each player got 15 swings in the second round, with batters homering on their final swings continuing until not homering.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 July 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 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of earned

verb

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