OBTAINS Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

obtains

verb

present tense third-person singular of obtain

as in earns

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 obtains Caltrans spokesperson Eric Menjivar said in an email Tuesday that at least some of the repairs are on hold as the agency obtains supplemental funding through an internal review process to finish the repairs. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 Pacioni said the warrant was of a type — a Ramey warrant — that a law enforcement agency obtains through a court without review or approval by the district attorney’s office. — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026 This adds another barrier if someone obtains your Apple Account password. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 And even if the creditor sues you and obtains a judgment, the federal protections covering the account can create a barrier between that creditor and the retirement funds still held in the plan. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 The three Bucky Dent pools remain closed while the city addresses the violations and obtains the approvals required to reopen. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 After three years, AVILOO had created a data collection device and a certificate the user obtains at the end of the process to guarantee the battery state of health. — James Morris, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 The state obtains the money by selling bonds to investors and agrees to repay it, with interest, per a specified schedule. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 Instead of cumbersome stakes and poles, the tent obtains its shape with just air. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtains

Verb

Chwalinska beat six-time major winner and Polish compatriot Iga Swiatek in the semifinals and, along with 1,000 ranking points, earns $665,000 in prize money.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Decisions about these funds deserve careful analysis, consistent standards, and a transparent process that earns public confidence.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of earns

Verb

When customers can see their own input shaping the brand in real time, the company reaps the benefit.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Opponents also rallied around the fact that Iceland already reaps benefits from being in the EU’s frictionless single market and the Schengen free-travel zone without the sovereignty compromises that come with full membership.

— Kwiyeon Ha, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of reaps

Verb

Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman’s unit has stepped up when needed, and all while the offense garners most of the headlines.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
All the while, #witchtok garners millions of posts, and there’s no shortage of flash sales for love spells – or curses.

— Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of garners

Verb

After winding through an aspen grove, the trail gains close to 3,000 feet of elevation to reach the springs.

— The Aspen Times, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Starbucks' turnaround gains traction with consumers New consumer data offered encouraging evidence that the Starbucks turnaround is, indeed, taking hold.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of gains

Verb

The simple industrial design gets a neat little accent in the form of a physical knob for adjusting playback, track navigation, and volume.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
This part of South America often gets heavy rain during El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon in which warmer-than-usual waters in the Pacific Ocean scramble weather patterns around the world.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of gets

Verb

But that makes the philanthropic imperative towards the people who live there all the more urgent.

— David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Some trips call for an outfit that feels a little more special than your usual jeans-and-sweater combination, and this matching set makes that easy.

— Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of makes

Verb

As soon as Ukraine acquires this ability, Russia would likely be compelled to pull the rest of these systems farther away from the border, thereby considerably reducing the ballistic threat to Ukraine.

— Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
Set in 1969, the film follows how rising media tycoon Rupert Murdoch acquires UK newspaper The Sun and how his partnership with editor Larry Lamb (O’Connell) turns the paper into Britain’s most influential and at-times controversial tabloid.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of acquires

Browse Nearby Words

obtainments

obtains

obtrude

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Obtains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtains. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of obtains

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

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

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes