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obtaining

verb

present participle of obtain
as in earning
to receive as return for effort after years of proving herself, she obtained recognition as a serious journalist

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 obtaining After obtaining a warrant for Ratliff’s arrest, police executed search warrants for two separate locations to gather evidence in the case Friday. — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 For practices planning to bill Medicare, CMS outlines a separate enrollment process that includes obtaining an NPI, completing enrollment through PECOS and working with the appropriate Medicare administrative contractor. — Ajay Prasad, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 Milner is currently working towards obtaining his UEFA Pro Licence and as part of that process he’s been invited by Liverpool academy director Alex Inglethorpe to coach the club’s younger age groups. — James Pearce, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Guerrero also attended additional meetings at Vientemilla’s office where participants discussed obtaining firearms and ammunition and smuggling ballistic vests from CTU into Haiti for the Colombians, prosecutors said. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 The need for upgrades to campus infrastructure and the slow process of obtaining tax credits left the building program years behind schedule, precipitating a 2022 lawsuit. — Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Married minors may also face legal barriers to hiring an attorney, filing for divorce or obtaining protection from abuse. — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026 Faced with the lengthy process of obtaining federal approval, county officials left the park largely untouched for years. — Oliver Wu, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026 After obtaining the suspect's name and descriptions of both the man and his vehicle, DeLong cleared the call. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtaining
  1. earning
  2. gaining
  3. winning
  4. reaping
  5. making
  6. garnering
  7. getting
  8. attaining
Verb
  • The changing geography coincides with a growing Latino middle class, with nearly one-third of Latino households in Chicago now earning at least $100,000 a year.
    — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The single stayed on the Hot 100 for over a year, and the album went gold, earning earned him a Grammy nomination for male pop vocal performance.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of earning
Verb
  • This combination is particularly relevant for aerospace and rail applications, where gaining recyclability at the expense of fire performance would be a rather poor trade.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Across the state, Muslim pitmasters are gaining recognition for putting their own spin on one of Texas' most iconic culinary traditions.
    — Ulaa Kuziez, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of gaining
Verb
  • Manchin narrowly defeated Morrisey in 2018, but Morrisey mounted a political comeback in 2024 by emerging from a crowded GOP primary and winning the governor’s mansion.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Its star Matthew Rhys made history, winning two Leading categories in Comedy and Drama for Netflix’s The Beast in Me.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of winning
Verb
  • The tech sector of the S&P 500 has seen its forward price/earnings multiple contract from 29 to 21 in the past year with the market unwilling to extrapolate the profit surge in the absence of a clear path back to reaping oodles of free cash flow.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In today’s music industry, when artists aren’t reaping the full benefits of the recording economy because of streaming platforms, the live experience is as vital as ever.
    — Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of reaping
Verb
  • Those rumors haven’t gone unnoticed, with Bronwyn leaning into them by making a scissoring motion with her hands — but all in jest!
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • There are vegan options here, but the place is known for grinding their own ground beef on the daily and making their own mayonnaise.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of making
Verb
  • He’s being recognized for his performance in Noah Segan’s The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, a project that is already garnering awards buzz.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Styles had begun working in the adult entertainment realm in 2021, garnering more than a million followers of his explicit content across social media and on OnlyFans.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of garnering
Verb
  • Underwood, the five-star recruit from the Detroit area who commanded a multimillion-dollar name, image and likeness deal to sign with Michigan, had completed only 11 passes before getting a last-second reprieve.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The priority, however, is getting Ohtani back to himself on the offensive side before the postseason — whether that means a couple days off or more than a week.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of getting
Verb
  • This older world is often focused on common American ideals of individualism and grit as the primary tools for attaining personal success.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In other words, what happens when their agreeable or polite approach to attaining something doesn’t work?
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of attaining

Browse Nearby Words

obtained
obtaining
obtainment
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Cite this Entry

“Obtaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtaining. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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