obtains

Definition of obtainsnext
present tense third-person singular of obtain

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 Before this hearing, a dependency investigator obtains medical records and interviews caregivers, babysitters, relatives, therapists, the kids themselves, and, ideally, the parents. Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 Details would still need to be finalized if the village obtains the grant. Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026 However, if the debt collection agency files a lawsuit over the unpaid balance and obtains a judgment against you, that judgment could appear on your credit report and damage your credit score. Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025 Trump is weighing in on the bidding battle, which could end up creating a multibillion-dollar media powerhouse if either company obtains Warner Bros. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025 If no candidate obtains more than half of the votes on Sunday, the two frontrunners will go to a runoff election on December 14, according to Chilean law. Michael Rios, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025 Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential nutrient that the body cannot produce on its own, but instead obtains from food, especially fatty fish. Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 13 Nov. 2025 Visotzky added that only one in four households seeking federal housing assistance obtains it. Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2025 Since then, more global drugmakers have announced partnerships with Chinese firms—The main form of collaboration is licensing — meaning the foreign partner obtains rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize the Chinese drug or technology outside China. CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtains
Verb
  • At nearly 6 millimeters, Megabathynella totemensis genuinely earns the title among its peers.
    Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 20 Feb. 2026
  • The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) earns 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards® points on most generic online grocery purchases.
    Ryley Amond, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Perhaps some enterprising Democrat or Republican will come along who exhibits more faith in our constitutional system, governs with the foresight that there are more elections to come than just the next one — and reaps the benefits.
    David M. Drucker, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
  • And if the hypotheticals are not enough to dissuade, history is littered with teams trading away their future for immediate glories, seeing their plans implode, and being left with a ruinous future that becomes a hopeless present while another team reaps the benefits.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Blackman High senior Blackman High senior Nicholas Cunningham wins Tennessean Student of the Week poll with more than 30,000 votes.
    Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Russia's Nikita Filippov wins 'skimo' silver for first Olympic 'AIN' medal.
    Alex Connor, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The cool-girl pair garners plenty of praise, and the kicker?
    Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
  • That doesn’t factor in the attention Cade Cunningham garners from defenders, which should generate open looks for Huerter.
    Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Later, Harper returns the favor, watching with rapt admiration when Eric pivots and gains a foothold during a CNN confrontation with Tender’s inscrutable CFO Whitney (Max Minghella), who is fighting against a new audit for his fiscally defunct company.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Germany, meanwhile, gains political flexibility and a partner more aligned with big-picture EU politics.
    Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • If the justices agree to hear oral arguments, the 90-day clock gets re-set, possibly pushing a final decision back to as late as October.
    Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
  • For its opening, the Costa Mesa location is offering a choice deal where $5 gets you two slices and a beverage.
    Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The on-site activity center, Compass Sports, makes outdoor recreation effortless.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
  • That makes Iran the world’s sixth-largest oil producer – an impressive feat, considering Iran faces worldwide sanctions that have severely limited its potential customers.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The artist has moved on from solely using her own clothes and now acquires garments in a multitude of ways.
    Precious Adesina, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Çatak’s anti-state message acquires an ambiguous power as the movie wends onward, with an enigmatic final shot that finds Aziz tasting clear-skies freedom but still from behind confines of a sort.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Obtains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtains. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on obtains

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!