How to Use well-earned in a Sentence

well-earned

adjective
  • Either way, that hot-tub soak back at the lodge will feel well-earned.
    — Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
  • His cockiness on the court is well-earned.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 12 May 2026
  • Skyline’s fame is well-earned, though, and worth braving the crowds.
    — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Skyline’s fame is well-earned, though, and worth braving the crowds.
    — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025
  • Such markings are well-earned by Aronson.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
  • No pressure is a privilege, well-earned.
    — Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Sean Payton’s club will enjoy a well-earned bye next weekend.
    — Zak Keefer, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
  • And the bounce that ended Dallas’ season was well-earned.
    — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 1 May 2026
  • That’s been time-tested and well-earned from improbable roots.
    — Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Helles Real won this whole darn thing in 2023, so that 2 seed is well-earned.
    — Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Pragmata controls like a dream, making every dodge, dip, and dive feel well-earned.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Horn’s ability to push through pain and adversity has been well-earned.
    — Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
  • This reputation is well-earned.
    — Terry Wagner, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Any skepticism about blockchain projects involving music has been well-earned.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The arrival feels well-earned after a day of Mediterranean exploration.
    — Marco Palermo, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Whistler's newest fine-dining restaurant is called Wild Blue, its rave reviews are well-earned.
    — Brent Rose, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2022
  • Green has become one of the most recognizable faces in the country music world, and his spot at the top of the mountain is well-earned.
    — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Now, comparisons to Fortnite are commonplace and well-earned.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Seattle’s reputation as a rainy city is well-earned — not because of downpours, but because of how often the drizzle shows up.
    — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
  • My organization credentials are well-earned after much trial and error.
    — Lauren Arzbaecher, Architectural Digest, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The all-consuming totality of the Julia Roberts phenomenon was well-earned.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Regardless of the final strategy, Harbour’s inevitable nomination will be well-earned.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
  • You are reminded of why he’s regularly spoken of with admiration and awe, and why his reputation as one of the most compelling, chameleonic performers to ever do it is well-earned.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Ross gets away with such a surfeit of sentiment precisely because of his naturally caustic inclinations; the jokes are sharp enough and the laughs are hard and plentiful enough that all of the schmaltz feels not just charming but well-earned.
    — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Ireland showed its longstanding, if well-earned, animus toward Britain by choosing to be neutral during the Second World War—despite the depravity of Nazism.
    — Philip Metres august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Bears, Bengals, Browns A well-earned (and probably much-needed) break is on the horizon after becoming the first team in league history to play back-to-back international games in two different countries.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • With the Chiefs enjoying a well-earned bye week, our KC Star reporters and columnists have been handing out awards for the first half of the 2025 NFL season.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Campbell said the Horned Frogs will bring a healthy level of swagger and confidence into Kansas City, which is well-earned after TCU navigated a gauntlet at the end of the season to claim the regular-season title.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Mar. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'well-earned.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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