EARN Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

earn

verb

ˈərn

Definition of earn

as in to win

to receive as return for effort during my teen years I earned pocket money by mowing lawns

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to deserve

to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment) you've earned the afternoon off after all that hard work

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 earn To qualify, borrowers would need to have lived in the state for at least a year and earn no more than 200% of the local median income; in Los Angeles County, for example, that equates to a family of four earning no more than $216,200 a year. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 At 50% brightness, the ROG Strix Scar 18 (2026) put out 186 nits, earning it a distant second place after the MSI Raider HX AI at 323 nits. — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 Unlike a human courier, a robot doesn't collect tips or earn money for each delivery. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 As an undergrad at Loyola University, the young man’s penchant for explosive materials earned him a reputation. — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for earn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earn

Verb

But Ben-Gvir and his allies hope to win enough seats to force Netanyahu to accommodate their demands or risk losing power.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Election Day nears The stakes are high as the race Marshall was supposed to win handily is now neck-and-neck, according to recent polling.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of win

Verb

The Panthers wound up out gaining Argyle 552 to 480 in total yards with running back Gabriel Bess picking up 160 yards on 19 carries.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
By adding a company with a long record in underwater robotics, Elbit gains access to specialist expertise that complements its existing surface, sensor, communications and command-and-control capabilities.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of gain

Verb

The railroads have yet to reap the price benefits of the volume growth, since intermodal rates are set in an annual bid season each fall and winter.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
The platform continued to reap the benefits of record-high viewership for the FIFA World Cup, as the final games played out at the beginning of the quarter and aired on NBCUniversal's Telemundo and on Peacock.

— Catriona Marangi, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of reap

Verb

That’s more than double the cash Tesla’s been garnering from operations in the last few quarters, meaning that will have a much bigger cash deficit in the final three months of 2026.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
With luxury bags and accessory live shows garnering more than 150 million views so far in 2026, Coach is expected to see the biggest benefit at the accessible price point.

— Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of garner

Verb

Becerra played it safe with reporters, sidestepping a question about why his party hadn’t made a bigger dent in California’s affordability crisis after 16 years in the governor’s office.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
By reducing delays in transferring and interpreting images, researchers estimate CLARKE could help emergency managers make decisions roughly a day earlier.

— Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of make

Verb

In an interview with Vogue at Cannes, Hoyeon described spending six months preparing for the action sequences, including firearms training, obtaining a stick-shift driving license, and learning stunt-driving techniques.

— Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
The Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands became sovereign countries, obtaining membership in the United Nations in September 1991.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of obtain

Verb

Ironically, these uninsured Americans may be helping drive the cost of health care even higher, fueling a cycle in which health insurance gets more expensive, forcing more people to drop coverage.

— Alana Semuels, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Why concert tickets keep getting more expensive Artists, promoters, venues, and ticketing platforms all take a cut of each ticket.

— James LaForge, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of get

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earmarks

earn

earned

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“Earn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earn. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of earn

verb

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