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 The fourth star and a fairytale send off for Lionel Messi earned through lots of grit, fighting spirit and a bit of magic evaporated into the East Rutherford, New Jersey, air. — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 Lamine Yamal’s young brother earned a roar from the crowd when he was shown on the big screen with his parents. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 20 July 2026 More than 180 products across 60 categories earned gold, silver and bronze medals, but only one item in each product type took home the coveted Golden Bear. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 19 July 2026 As a bachelor, not yet forty years old, Kim Teacher earned more than several lawyers and judges combined and already owned two commercial buildings in Hongdae. — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026 It’s praised by critics as one of their best albums and has earned regular spots on their setlists ever since. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026 Scorsese’s film adaptation ended up grossing over $392 million at the box office and earned five Oscars nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Scorsese, and Best Actor for DiCaprio. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 19 July 2026 The two had earned more than $650 million through stock sales since taking the company public and bought two private luxury jets, according to the lawsuit and securities filings. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026 Flip-flops usually aren’t my first choice for sightseeing, but this pair has earned an exception. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earned
  1. won
  2. deserved
  3. gained
  4. garnered
  5. reaped
  6. obtained
  7. made
  8. got
Verb
  • And when Burnham — favored by many within Labour to lead the party and the country — won a special election for a seat in Parliament, Starmer gave in to the mounting pressure to quit.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Spain, meanwhile, is unbeaten in 37 straight matches and won both the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League and 2024 European Championship.
    — Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 18 July 2026
Definition of won
Verb
  • The drama of the series comes from Hollis being a little bit of a villain; The Five Star Weekend nearly suggests that the fame-chasing Hollis deserved Caroline and Matthew’s irritation rather than their support.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • Elsewhere, a Palestinian TikTok content creator with over 350,000 followers suggested that Argentina deserved to lose the World Cup because of Messi’s numerous associations with Israel.
    — Juan Melamed, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2026
Definition of deserved
Verb
  • After getting their start on reality TV in the UK, the Tate brothers have gained notoriety over the years by promoting increasingly misogynistic content online, racking up followers — and criminal charges.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • And the Cup created new stars, like 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who gained millions of Instagram followers after shutting out Spain.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026
Definition of gained
Verb
  • Since the start of 2026, the New York Democrat has garnered only $500.
    — Max Grinstein, The Washington Examiner, 16 July 2026
  • Workload is part of the equation, and an aspect that’s garnered plenty of attention in Ohtani’s first full season balancing two-way duties since 2023.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of garnered
Verb
  • The offbeat film became a critical and audience hit, grossing $140 million, and reaped Oscars for Hunter, Paquin and screenwriter Campion.
    — Chris Morris, Variety, 13 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of reaped
Verb
  • Surveillance footage obtained by The Associated Press appears to show a white sedan, believed to be Durán Guerrero on his way to work, driving in circles near an intersection before an unmarked vehicle blocks its path.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • The youngest victim was 5-year-old Dayana Arlotti, who died alongside her father Williams Arlotti, who drowned while trying to find a lifeboat, according to court documents obtained by The Guardian.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
Definition of obtained
Verb
  • Tuchel made three changes to his starting lineup for Wednesday’s match, opting for Rogers instead of Noni Madueke on the right wing and defenders Reece James and Djed Spence in place of Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • Sure enough, the public fight made headlines — so the next day, Riley gets a FaceTime call from her mother, Kandi.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 16 July 2026
Definition of made
Verb
  • Iran got 70 million barrels of oil out of the strait in the weeks following its memorandum of understanding with the United States.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • Daniel isn’t this devil’s only minion; Armand’s got an Illumination movie’s worth of cronies doing his bidding.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 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 22 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of earned for Spanish Speakers

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