OBTAINING Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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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 Burbank blocked Metro from obtaining permits for construction on a portion of the route the city believes would affect traffic for residential areas. — Los Angeles Times, 9 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 Travelers can gain access to the lounges by obtaining a new, premium Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card issued by Chase, launching next year. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 2 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 The law is aimed at prohibiting children from obtaining books and movies with obscene content. — Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026 This led to them obtaining the deepest images ever taken of the Cloud 9 region, approximately ten times deeper than any previous optical imaging of this object. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The sheriff’s office added that the Lordstown Police Department in Ohio assisted in the case by obtaining a DNA sample from a descendant of Krusely. — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtaining

Verb

Kuminga ultimately opted to ink a two-year deal (also with a player option in Year 2) in Minnesota, where he’s expected to start while earning just over $6 million annually.

— Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Plans call for the complex ultimately to have 225 apartments in five buildings, including 15 designated as affordable for residents earning 60% to 80% of the area median income.

— Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register, 11 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

Last season, 72 contests ended with a game-winning score in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, which is the second-most in NFL history.

— Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
His main problem in winning Katrina is the presence of rivals for her hand, especially the brawny, Herculean Brom Van Brunt, known as Brom Bones.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of winning

Verb

Inflation has remained sticky and above central-bank targets over the past year, making further policy tightening unsurprising, according to the UBS CEO.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026
The Sphagnum mosses that surround me arose some 14 million years ago, the descendants of mosses that evolved 400 million years ago, making their lineage older than the coal seams that runs through the deep mountains.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of making

Verb

Thrill Glider is arriving at a moment when Six Flags has been garnering national attention.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Turek is garnering 46% of the vote to Hinson’s 42%, while Libertarian candidate Thomas Laehn is getting 6%, and 6% of voters are undecided, according to the survey from Global Strategy Group conducted for Turek’s campaign.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 9 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

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obtained

obtaining

obtainment

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“Obtaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtaining. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of obtaining

verb

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