1
as in won
to receive as return for effort
during my teen years I earned pocket money by mowing lawns
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Recent Examples of earned
Bermudez earned her law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and has been a member of the state bar since 2005.
—
Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Zuhn earned All-SEC honors each of the past two seasons and shared the 2025 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy (top blocker in the SEC) with Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.
—Sam Warren, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
This specifically benefits murderers and rapists, the officials said, and implies that parole is automatic, not something earned.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The massive offensive lineman earned a spot on Miami’s offensive line in 2024, taking over for injured left tackle Jalen Rivers.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Teller first rose to fame with his role in the Divergent film trilogy, but gained critical acclaim for his role in Whiplash, which earned him various award nominations.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Limon had previously earned a degree in urban and rural planning from a university in Bangladesh.
—Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Hugo Lloris earned his eighth league-leading clean sheet of the season with five saves, extending his dominant defensive performance on the campaign.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Bednar tallied his second loss of the season after allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) and a walk in the bottom of that frame.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2026
Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Zuhn earned All-SEC honors each of the past two seasons and shared the 2025 SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy (top blocker in the SEC) with Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.
—Sam Warren, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
This specifically benefits murderers and rapists, the officials said, and implies that parole is automatic, not something earned.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The massive offensive lineman earned a spot on Miami’s offensive line in 2024, taking over for injured left tackle Jalen Rivers.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Teller first rose to fame with his role in the Divergent film trilogy, but gained critical acclaim for his role in Whiplash, which earned him various award nominations.
—Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
Limon had previously earned a degree in urban and rural planning from a university in Bangladesh.
—Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Hugo Lloris earned his eighth league-leading clean sheet of the season with five saves, extending his dominant defensive performance on the campaign.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Bednar tallied his second loss of the season after allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) and a walk in the bottom of that frame.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earned
Verb
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The Lakers won anyway and are now favored to advance.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Harron deservedly won Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize for her ferociously entertaining look at Valerie Solanas, the feminist writer who, as the title announces, attempted to murder pop artist Andy Warhol in 1968.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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What’s also curiously glossed over — or at least truncated into a shorter segue than deserved — is Bernstein’s impact in Hollywood.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
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Some of it is deserved, some of it is a little overstated.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even before the war, Saudi Arabia had signed a defense agreement with Pakistan, which has since gained more credibility as a force in the region because of its mediating role between Washington and Tehran.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Reuters news agency said Brent and WTI gained almost 17% and 13% respectively over the course of last week - their biggest weekly rise since the Iran war began.—
April 27,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That film garnered more than $900 million worldwide.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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Photos and videos of Chonkers hopping onto docks and perching among his smaller California sea lion friends have garnered thousands of views on social media.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The additional billions that Moscow has reaped because of the Iran war is easing some pressure off Russia’s floundering economy and the Kremlin’s ability to finance the conflict in Ukraine.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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In a February 2025 Reuters poll, the two men reaped more favorable ratings than anyone else among the 10 wealthiest Americans.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Video obtained by The News shows the victim arguing with the dog owner when a woman in red storms up and starts swinging.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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The petitioners filed as an exhibit an email obtained through a public records request that was sent by Burke’s former spokesman Matt McGrath to other county officials in August of last year.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Left fielder Amy Cornelius made a running grab just before the fence with a runner on first base to close the second.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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There’s going to be plenty of opportunities, plays that are going to have to be made, and those guys will make them.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Luke Kornet got the Game 3 start against the Trail Blazers in Wembanyama’s absence, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.—
Anne M. Peterson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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Onyemata was one of the free-agent signings the Jets got the most praise for — a rock-solid veteran defensive tackle who can help in both the run and pass game.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earned. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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