1
as in winning
to receive as return for effort
during my teen years I earned pocket money by mowing lawns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of earning
More recent parody country music songs have pushed Hays to the top of the Spotify and Apple Music charts, earning her in all nearly five million followers and over three billion social media platform views.
—
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
Elsewhere, actors like Anne Hathaway have admitted to struggling career-wise after earning the ire of social media.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
Johnson narrowly avoided a runoff election by earning 52% of the vote.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Anderson went on to start the next 15 games, earning a Pro Bowl invite.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
That movie debuted in theaters worldwide December 2023, earning $21 million its opening weekend.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Now, after the Browns began 1-3, Stefanski is giving the first crack at earning the starting job to Gabriel.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
In Gadsden, Pendleton excelled in school, earning top grades and the respect of teachers and classmates alike.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
The Red Raiders have a bye week after earning a statement 34-10 win over Utah, which set them up as an early favorite in the Big 12.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Sep. 2025
Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2025
Elsewhere, actors like Anne Hathaway have admitted to struggling career-wise after earning the ire of social media.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
Johnson narrowly avoided a runoff election by earning 52% of the vote.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Anderson went on to start the next 15 games, earning a Pro Bowl invite.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
That movie debuted in theaters worldwide December 2023, earning $21 million its opening weekend.
—Caché McClay, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025
Now, after the Browns began 1-3, Stefanski is giving the first crack at earning the starting job to Gabriel.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
In Gadsden, Pendleton excelled in school, earning top grades and the respect of teachers and classmates alike.
—Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
The Red Raiders have a bye week after earning a statement 34-10 win over Utah, which set them up as an early favorite in the Big 12.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earning
Verb
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Coaches, both winning and losing, point it out every night in pregame and postgame media.—
Kevin Dotson,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Grammy Award-winning artist Doja Cat is slated to join the Puerto Rican rapper as the music guest.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Amorim may turn the rising tide; a Premier League wins list which only includes six of the current top-flight teams may quickly expand; a playing system currently receiving devotion without much sign of deserving it may soon bear fruit.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Let’s hope that in a year light on megastars and drama, there’s greater opportunity for deserving surprises and overdue honors — secure in the knowledge that Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl is already teed up for next year’s awards.—
Alan Light,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Honer, a former college diver, moved to Nashville in 2024 after gaining viral success.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
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For OnePay, which benefits from its ties with the world’s largest retailer, there are signs that its mobile app is gaining traction, even before the crypto rollout.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After breaking out in 2016, Khalid became an industry darling, garnering five Grammy nominations and becoming a go-to duet partner for everyone from Ed Sheeran to Billie Eilish (see sidebar).—
Jeff Nelson,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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Some fans argued that the online spat was Minaj's way of garnering attention for her future release.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The construction of museums to house artifacts offers an opportunity for African countries to bolster their cultural tourism offering for international and domestic visitors, potentially reaping economic benefits.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Many powers are reaping the benefits.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By law, half of the 20,000 available scholarships are required to go to families with no income cap, meaning even those making $1 million or more could qualify.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Oct. 2025
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While local residents hope a new plant could bring economic growth, unanswered questions about use of the additional land are making some uneasy.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The seven claimants – who include Elton John's husband David Furnish – accuse Associated Newspapers of activities such as hacking their voicemails, burglary, and obtaining their medical records by deception.—
Michael Holden,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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Israeli intelligence missed the boat on October 7, but we’re asked to trust Israeli intelligence 100% that Iran is on the cusp of obtaining nuclear weapons.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That led to millions more people getting coverage, some of whom paid little or nothing, and more plans being offered.—
Todd Spangler,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Now, its most iconic silhouettes from the archive are getting a new lease on life — just in time to the brand’s 120th anniversary.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Earning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earning. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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