as in earns
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
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Recent Examples of obtains
The village obtains its water from the city of Elgin at a rate of about $100 per 1,000 gallons, Hof said.
—
Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The appeals court’s decision means Haitians with TPS can continue to work and remain protected from deportation unless the government obtains a stay from the Supreme Court or until the case is heard in full in federal court and the Haitian plaintiffs lose their appeal, which could take months.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
When assessing which military is responsible for a particular strike – in any conflict – CNN typically obtains images of the remnants of the weapons used in the attack and provides these to munitions experts so that their provenance can be assessed.
—Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Trump largely reiterated his red lines in the address, maintaining that the mission is necessary to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 1 Mar. 2026
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
While most data the WHO obtains is ultimately made available to the public, member nations have greater access to detailed information about collection methods and gain access sooner, as new threats are emerging.
—Jordan Miller, The Conversation, 31 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
Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The appeals court’s decision means Haitians with TPS can continue to work and remain protected from deportation unless the government obtains a stay from the Supreme Court or until the case is heard in full in federal court and the Haitian plaintiffs lose their appeal, which could take months.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
When assessing which military is responsible for a particular strike – in any conflict – CNN typically obtains images of the remnants of the weapons used in the attack and provides these to munitions experts so that their provenance can be assessed.
—Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Trump largely reiterated his red lines in the address, maintaining that the mission is necessary to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 1 Mar. 2026
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
While most data the WHO obtains is ultimately made available to the public, member nations have greater access to detailed information about collection methods and gain access sooner, as new threats are emerging.
—Jordan Miller, The Conversation, 31 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtains
Verb
-
The top team earns automatic promotion to the fifth tier.—
Ryan Brennan
March 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The winner of this matchup earns the seventh playoff seed.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Schnabel’s cinematic canon includes Basquiat, Before Night Falls, and 4x Oscar nominated The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which earned the filmmaker a Best Director Oscar nom, and Best Director wins at the Cannes Film Festival, Golden Globes and Césars.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The cool-girl pair garners plenty of praise, and the kicker?—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
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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
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When within one second of a rival at a detection point, a driver gains access to additional electrical deployment—up to 350 kW—giving them a temporary performance advantage.—
Brad Spurgeon,
Robb Report,
9 Mar. 2026
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And the subject of an investigation gains the power to control the flow of information.—
Vaughn Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The top two candidates in the June 2 primary will move on to a November runoff — even if the top finisher in June gets more than 50% of the vote.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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However the filmmakers entirely forget about his story until the end title cards, where the audience gets an update on his whereabouts.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the very fantasy that makes the book extraordinary may also be why it’s overlooked by the mainstream.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
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State efforts to restrict federal enforcement at polls face potential legal challenges due to the supremacy clause, which makes federal law paramount.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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My organization acquires and rehabs existing buildings on the open market at a cost of $150,000 to $200,000 per unit — about one-third the cost of new, low-income housing tax credit construction.—
Rafael Leon,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Jon Hamm starts off voicing Mayor Jerry with two-faced smarm, but his performance acquires layers.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obtains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obtains. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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