earning

verb

present participle of earn
1
as in winning
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 deserving
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 earning McDonald’s sometimes benefits in tough economic times, as higher-earning households trade down from pricier restaurants. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Credit cards can be a great way to help accomplish all your holiday shopping while earning rewards on your purchases. — Ryley Amond, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026 Convenience is quickly becoming table stakes, an expectation that merely prevents dissatisfaction rather than earning true loyalty. — Jerry Haywood, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Skipp Townsend has a reputation as the rare peacemaker who has the respect of generations of rival gang members while also earning the trust of senior LAPD officials and members of the city’s civilian Police Commission. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026 Perfecth is the best seller on wax for the week, earning top spot on ARIA’s Vinyl Chart. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2026 Musk first revealed the Cybertruck in late 2019, back when Tesla was still trading at a theoretically understandable price-to-earning ratio. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026 In 2014, also boosted its reputation further by earning FIAPF A-list accreditation, putting it into the company of such venerable fests as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, Karlovy Vary and Locarno. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026 Lange took a starring role in the four seasons of the series, earning her two Primetime Emmy awards along the way — and a whole new generation of fans. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earning
  1. winning
  2. deserving
  3. gaining
  4. garnering
  5. reaping
  6. making
  7. obtaining
  8. getting
Verb
  • Five takeaways from the Miami Heat’s 115-109 win over the Utah Jazz (1-10) on Tuesday night at Delta Center to clinch a winning 3-2 five-game West Coast trip.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Going forward, Budd’s race will be one of the most expensive in 2028 and will be a test of whether Democrats can expand their foothold in the South after winning seats in South Carolina and possibly Mississippi.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of winning
Verb
  • The only choice, really, for Throtl to remake a Prelude into a machine deserving of the Type R badge was to bring over the FL5’s heart and soul.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 3 Nov. 2026
  • But the game management staff, certain depth chart placements and how the roster fails to reach its potential are deserving of an extensive evaluation.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of deserving
Verb
  • For foreign intelligence services, gaining visibility into Nvidia’s hardware roadmap, advanced packaging methods, or executive decision-making would represent a major strategic breakthrough.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Penn State's offense dominated third downs early, gaining an average of 17 yards on their six first-half third downs and finishing 7-for-14 on third down and 2-for-3 on fourth down.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of gaining
Verb
  • Two ballot measures designed as poison pills against the billionaire tax are garnering strong support.
    — Robert Frank, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Rachel Weatherington, who challenged political newcomer Geramie Parrish in the Place 4 race, was ahead with 70% of the vote with Parrish garnering 30%, according to unofficial, incomplete results from Tarrant County.
    — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of garnering
Verb
  • Through the spring and summer the forest in this mountain backcountry had been blessed with abundant rainfall and the wild creatures were busy reaping the berries, seeds and other browse.
    — Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The County of Ventura 2025 Crop and Livestock Report shows strawberries as the county’s leading agricultural commodity, with growers reaping $808 million in wholesale revenue.
    — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of reaping
Verb
  • Black, who helped found private equity giant Apollo Global Management, accused Garcia of making maliciously false statements, citing statements the ranking member of the House oversight committee made in interviews.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Officials underscored the progress students have been making in the classroom.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of making
Verb
  • He is also accused of obtaining a leadership position in the Hampton Bays American Legion and stealing more than $81,000 from the organization.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • After obtaining search warrants, authorities seized about 27 items, including slides, film negatives and books, from the first unit.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of obtaining
Verb
  • The administration says longstanding federal policy of getting people into permanent housing first, then offering voluntary treatment, has failed, and is to blame for the pandemic spike in homelessness.
    — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 8 Nov. 2026
  • People may have been getting high off cannabis earlier than previously thought -- at least 2,800 years ago, a new study suggests.
    — Mary Evans, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of getting

Browse Nearby Words

earnestness
earning
earnings
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Cite this Entry

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

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