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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 No one is questioning that Davion Mitchell has earned and is capable of holding a spot in the Heat’s rotation. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026 After attending Bucharest’s Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography, she was accepted into NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, then later earned a master’s degree from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026 Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show has earned him his first Emmy for variety special (live); the show won seven awards overall. — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Her Eras Tour special earned five nominations this year but didn't win any. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026 The wonderful Jeon — unforgettable in the role that earned her the best actress award at Cannes in Lee’s transcendent grief drama, Secret Sunshine — is equally moving as Mi-ok. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026 But perhaps the biggest winner of the night was Bad Bunny, which earned trophies for Variety Special (Live), Directing, Lighting Design, Music Direction, Sound Mixing, Choreography and Technical Direction. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026 Singletary took a pay cut to the minimum salary to stay this offseason, and then earned his spot on the roster. — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Bartko, who earned degrees in civil engineering and law in Belarus, fled her home country on a student visa to avoid political persecution over her vocal opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earned
  1. won
  2. deserved
  3. gained
  4. garnered
  5. reaped
  6. obtained
  7. made
  8. got
Verb
  • Ukraine is urgently trying to improve its air defenses as Russia's invasion stretches into its fifth year, and on Thursday won pledges of more support from Canada.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Banks ,who won a Best Melodic Rap Performance Grammy in 2024, was found not guilty of conspiracy, stalking using a dangerous weapon, stalking resulting in death, and two counts involving murder-for-hire.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of won
Verb
  • Linking with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Yeremy Pino — the Spain international deserved an assist for an exquisite outside-of-the-boot pass earlier on — Anan Khalaili made a fine third-man run at the end of a dozen passes.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the attacks were viciously personal, like about how a deceased family member deserved to die.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of deserved
Verb
  • Community members brought knowledge and experiences to the table that researchers could not have gained at a distance.
    — Caroline Montojo, STAT, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The 61-year-old—who owns 40% of his tech company—has gained around $122 billion since this time in 2025, nearly doubling his wealth to a whopping $262 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of gained
Verb
  • Martinez first garnered widespread attention for his portrayal of Gael Martinez on Freeform’s Good Trouble.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
  • But newcomer Widow’s Bay, which garnered 19 noms, seems to have the late-breaking momentum.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of garnered
Verb
  • All three are allegedly part of Ghost Town, a notorious gang from West Oakland that made headlines last year for a brazen high-end robbery spree that reaped hundreds of thousands of dollars and left victims traumatized, according to court records.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The company reaped about $900 million with its initial public offering.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of reaped
Verb
  • Brian Hickerson, Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend, and his brother Zach Hickerson were present at the scene of her death, according to a police report previously obtained by ABC News.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Thakur obtained a restraining order in May, according to the sheriff’s office.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of obtained
Verb
  • But with backup quarterback Drew Lock in the game, Seattle made only a half-hearted attempt at moving the ball downfield, and instead the second quarter ended with a whimper.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The text is written on parchment made from sheep, fleeced, their hides soaked in lime, stretched and dried.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of made
Verb
  • But Jon Hamm, strolling up to present the next award, got the better joke in.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Maresca’s players followed soon after; Iliman Ndiaye, an inspired half-time substitute, was hanging around at the back of the group when Ruben Dias grabbed him and thrust him to the front, ensuring the new signing got a deserved ovation.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of got

Browse Nearby Words

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 17 Sep. 2026.

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