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 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 These agreements can ensure that the host community obtains certain specified benefits, such as local workforce guarantees or infrastructure development, as a result of the data center project. — Michael Helbing, The Conversation, 11 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtains

Verb

On an 8-yard run a bit earlier, Willis deftly escaped being tackled 1 yard short on a third-and-5, displaying the type of second effort that earns respect from everyone.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
Beyond that, its balance of top-tier audio and easily good-enough image quality and brightness for the price earns the P1 our Editors' Choice award for a 1080p room-to-room portable.

— M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 4 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

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
Cook followed in Jobs' footsteps, taking the stage for every major Apple product launch, which garners headlines and millions of viewers around the world.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of garners

Verb

Modest steps toward common ground could emerge, however, setting a course toward deeper diplomatic ties as the technology gains wider adoption.

— Max Zahn, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
An attacker gains initial access, establishes persistence, escalates privileges, moves laterally and eventually achieves an objective such as data theft or disruption.

— Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of gains

Verb

But while Antetokounmpo gets most of the attention as the Heat’s new star, Adebayo will again be relied on to be the team’s leader.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Known as the Shark Bay UNESCO World Heritage Site, the place gets its name from English buccaneer-cum-naturalist William Dampier, who was overcome by the bay’s sheer abundance and the size of the marine predators during a visit in 1699.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of gets

Verb

In instances like these, and there are many of them, one realizes how the novel acquires, and justifies, its title.

— Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
James Graham’s script, starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce (as Murdoch) and Claire Foy, is set in 1969 as the rising media tycoon acquires the daily newspaper.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of obtains

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

etiquette

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

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

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes