OBTAINED Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

obtained

verb

past tense of obtain

as in earned

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 obtained Prosecutors say that a company secretly controlled by Pulido obtained a 2016 government contract to supply 10 million food boxes at $34 each, generating approximately $340 million in revenue. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026 In a 2023 memorandum obtained by Fox News Digital, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, who was then serving as the city council president, said residents complained about rodent infestations during a community meeting. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Video footage, which the Bee obtained from the attorney who filed a lawsuit on behalf of Saetern’s family, was not released to the public. — Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Tasca tells Robb Report that the original developmental vines were obtained through a nursery that sold them only for trial purposes, but then the experiment became part of a larger initiative. — Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026 Footage obtained exclusively by CNN and testimony from those who were on the mountain paint a more detailed picture than before of Morup, the man who died serving his country and is now the goal of one of mountaineering’s grimmest challenges. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026 The death certificate obtained by US indicates the 87-year-old Mackie had suffered a fall and sustained an injury on September 11 at the home of his longtime design director Joseph McFate. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026 ProPublica later obtained video of an agent doing exactly that. — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026 In video obtained by KTLA-TV, an SUV can be seen traveling along the highway before smashing into another car. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtained

Verb

Luca Guadagnino‘s tech tale, which follows the five-day period in 2023 when Altman was fired and then rehired, earned rave reviews after its world premiere at New York Film Festival last week.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
But the respect the band had earned from the country firmament felt, at best, grudging.

— Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of earned

Verb

The reactionary spirit of mobsters was particularly useful to the authorities when left-wing politics gained steam in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
First Solar — Shares gained 2% after Truist upgraded the solar name to buy from hold.

— Darla Mercado, CFP®,Paulina Likos, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of gained

Verb

And in 2008, the owner of a formalwear company won a roughly $850,000 judgment against Peter over unpaid loans to finance his business.

— Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
The original series won the Golden Globe for best drama in 2019 and routinely lands near the top of lists hailing the best TV series of the past quarter century.

— Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of won

Verb

Ploughshare tortoises, which exist in the wild only in Madagascar, had once reaped six figures on the black market.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
The duo’s Be Free Tour builds on their career-long, high-energy, pop/classical mashup, which has reaped five albums, two Grammy nominations and a regular slate of 200 shows a year, including performances for over 100,000 students.

— Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of reaped

Verb

Eisenberg’s film garnered considerable laughs — and applause — from the theater-going crowd at its starry NYFF screening that saw Eisenberg, the cast, producer Emma Stone and even Claire Danes in attendance.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Her distinctive essays, prose and poetry, in which the ancient and modern live side-by-side, have garnered her critical acclaim.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of garnered

Verb

Growing up amid high divorce rates has also made younger couples more conscious of protecting their financial independence.

— Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
The Belgium–Netherlands–Italy co-production, directed by Brecht Debackere, made its world premiere in May at the Cannes Film Festival.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of made

Verb

While the telephone and television took decades to reach 100 million users, ChatGPT and TikTok attained that threshold in a matter of months.

— Raghupathy Sivakumar, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
That show, launched in 2020, attained a cult following — it was named Best Podcasts of the Year by outlets like Vogue, Esquire and Cosmopolitan.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of attained

Browse Nearby Words

obtainable

obtained

obtaining

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Obtained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtained. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of obtained

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

outlandish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes