obtain

verb

əb-ˈtān How to pronounce obtain (audio)
Definition of obtainnext
as in to earn
to receive as return for effort after years of proving herself, she obtained recognition as a serious journalist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 obtain The decision comes after public records obtained by news outlets showed North Carolina’s Office of the State Auditor asked Cabarrus officials to consider opening an early voting location in the southern Cabarrus town. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026 An unmarked Immigration and Customs Enforcement car stopped in front of the SUV to block its path, while other law enforcement vehicles parked behind it, according to surveillance video obtained by CNN affiliate WGAL. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 The case broke open when a Grapevine detective obtained a covert DNA sample from soda bottles in Brown’s trash in Colorado. — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 July 2026 When the men complain of medical conditions to the officers, they are frequently turned away, the families and detainees said in recordings obtained by the Herald. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for obtain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtain
  1. earn
  2. gain
  3. win
  4. reap
  5. garner
  6. get
  7. make
  8. attain
Verb
  • On the other side, Bedard at one point considered an even shorter deal to maximize his earning potential.
    — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 19 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
Definition of earn
Verb
  • So far, judges have blocked the Justice Department’s efforts to gain unsupervised access to Natanson’s devices.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 July 2026
  • The Bok scrum, with new cap Carlu Sadie at tighthead, monstered Wales' eight back over their own tryline to gain the put-in.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of gain
Verb
  • Boise State won the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) national championship in Setencich’s first season, defeating Eastern Kentucky, 31-29, in the title game.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 July 2026
  • The former three-time major winner has been all but forgotten by his former peers in the PGA, in part because his son is now a rising star who’s won a couple of tournaments.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Definition of win
Verb
  • Authors would sometimes reap the fiscal benefits of their work, too, since self-publishing online could lead to a book’s publication in print (or, even better, a movie adaptation).
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of reap
Verb
  • The video-game publisher would go on to release an additional 20 titles in that line, according to IGN, including the mobile game Pro Yakyuu Spirits A, which has garnered more than 73 million downloads dating back to its release in 2015.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 15 July 2026
  • The use of body cameras has largely garnered bipartisan agreement, particularly amid aggressive confrontations between federal agents and members of the public over the past year.
    — Holmes Lybrand, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
Definition of garner
Verb
  • The city banned data centers near transit and the Beltline, but this one is trying to get an exception.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
  • Residents in Congressional District 24 will get a chance to hear from candidates running to fill the seat of outgoing Congresswoman Frederica Wilson at a forum held in Little Haiti.
    — Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of get
Verb
  • In 2020, as critics of standardized tests made similar equity arguments, the UC system decided to remove the use of SAT and ACT test scores in admissions.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • What makes this harder to believe is that the night before, Gavin accused Kenny of lying to him for years, and Kenny likened him to Bernie Madoff.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of make
Verb
  • But the capture of both these towns is likely to involve a similarly gruesome and lengthy fight, putting an even optimistic assessment of attaining this key Moscow war goal at least a year away.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • Military experts have previously told the Miami Herald that the Pentagon routinely drafts plans to give the president a range of options to attain foreign policy goals.
    — Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of attain

Browse Nearby Words

obstructs
obtain
obtainability
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Obtain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtain. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on obtain

Nglish: Translation of obtain for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All