earned

verb

past tense of earn
1
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
2
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 Since interim head coach Ryan Richter took over during the World Cup break, Philadelphia earned 43 of a possible 57 points while outscoring opponents 48-22 during that span. — CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026 Philo earned the starting job during the offseason and won the confidence of his coaches and teammates in September. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026 There is certainly something to the ways in which Larson earned his three titles — all coming in different ways, and even in different playoff formats. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2026 Georgia earned 53 of the 70 first-place votes from the media voting panel. — Eric Olson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026 The victory earned Long Island a split of its season-opening two-game series in Greensboro. — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 8 Nov. 2026 The governor must be pleased that his persistence has earned him a place in the state’s history. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026 The new album launches with 35,000 equivalent album units earned. — Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2026 Azeem earned his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earned
  1. won
  2. deserved
  3. gained
  4. garnered
  5. reaped
  6. obtained
  7. made
  8. got
Verb
  • After more than a week of counting outstanding, absentee ballots and affidavit — or provisional — ballots, Colom won the closest Senate race in the country by just a few thousand votes.
    — Elena Moore, NPR, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Most of the Democrats who won countywide races did so by a double-digit margin.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of won
Verb
  • In reality, this is probably where the Hoosiers deserved to be ranked last week, but the committee must have needed a little bit of anticipation for this reveal, which still does not make much sense.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Livestreamer Adin Ross, who hosted Trump in 2024, told his audience Democrats deserved to win.
    — Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of deserved
Verb
  • Over the last 15 years, Loveless has gained acclaim for their ability to turn vulgarities into poetry and twist impossibly low romantic standards into dire punchlines.
    — Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
  • But the Broncos gained a scant 77 yards on the ground, a solid performance by the Chiefs.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of gained
Verb
  • State House District 105 candidate Ken McCool garnered significant financial support in his bid to oust Republican Tricia Cotham.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Cothiere garnered a much lower vote share than Wilson did in the crowded eight-person August primary to Wilson.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of garnered
Verb
  • In South Africa, Lebanon, and Germany, their central governments reaped the windfall.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Under-21s manager Rob Page, who Wright is enjoying working with, has reaped the benefits of the striker’s excellent form.
    — Andy Jones, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of reaped
Verb
  • The team applies selective processing to recover neodymium and iron, allowing the metals to be obtained in pure salt forms.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The targets appear to have been smaller stores and have affected only a limited number of each chain's retail locations, according to statements obtained by ABC News.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of obtained
Verb
  • Veteran forward Troy Terry made his season debut for the Ducks after missing 18 games while recovering from hip surgery in June.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Republicans made gains with young voters, Hispanics and Black people in 2024, but those gains were reversed as the conflict with Iran and its economic repercussions dragged on.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of made
Verb
  • When this 2008 institution from Elmhurst, Queens opened an outpost within Manhattan’s Chelsea Market, even more New Yorkers got access to its exceptional, home-style Thai cooking.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Hurricanes never got closer than six points the rest of the night.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of got

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earn
earned
earnest
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Cite this Entry

“Earned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earned. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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