earned

verb

past tense of earn
1
as in won
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
2
as in deserved
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 earned The blockbuster earned the fictional K-pop girl group Huntr/x, as well as Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, their first champions on the ranking. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Earlier this month, Abdul-Mateen earned an Emmy nomination for his lead performance as Wonder Man. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 2 Aug. 2026 His character earned him a significant space in the Warriors’ ecosystem. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Adrian Morejon earned his second save of the year, striking out three batters in the final 1 1/3 innings. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 The picture will brighten considerably if one of those players, Macario, who wore street clothes, can make it back this season and show the form that earned her the largest contract in NWSL history. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2026 Kelly, 59, who earned $478,000 prize money, fired rounds of 66, 68, 68, 68. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026 Abrams earned her first Top 10 album with her second album, The Secret of Us, which debuted at Number Two on the Billboard 200 in 2024 with 89,000 units. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earned
  1. won
  2. deserved
  3. gained
  4. garnered
  5. reaped
  6. obtained
  7. made
  8. got
Verb
  • Toronto hasn't beaten NYCFC in New York since September of 2020 and has never won at Yankee Stadium.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Jakob Marsee, Joe Mack and Xavier Edwards had RBI hits during a four-run fifth inning for the Marlins, who have won four of five following a 12-game losing streak.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of won
Verb
  • Clearly this budding naturalist deserved a flower in his name.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Cracker Barrel had already committed substantial capital to a transformation without proving which changes customers wanted, which investments would improve restaurant economics, and which businesses still deserved a place inside the company.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of deserved
Verb
  • Amazon shares gained 4% and hit a new all-time high on Monday, putting its market cap over the $3 trillion threshold for the first time following a better-than-expected earnings report last week.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This ideology, which gained prominence in the 1970s due to economic crises, Milton Friedman's influence, and agency theory, sidelined Peter Drucker's customer-centric view.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of gained
Verb
  • The 15-minute video, which garnered more than half a million views, resonated with others who had also lost money, anonymously detailing their own debts in thousands of comments.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Hilton rose to fame as a popular, and notorious, gossip blogger in the 2000s, which garnered both millions of readers as well as pushback from some celebrities who felt his coverage was mean-spirited.
    — Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of garnered
Verb
  • Other indigenous peoples know it as the Corn Moon, Harvest Moon and Ricing Moon, to reflect the time when various crops are ready to be reaped and collected.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Analysts on Wall Street reaped praise on Palantir Technologies for its second-quarter report, stating that the company is building a successful strategy on artificial intelligence.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of reaped
Verb
  • The lawsuit obtained by the Dayton Daily News claims that Beaver’s Mini Mart’s logo infringes on the one used by Buc-ee’s.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Public Health Watch, Kentucky Public Radio and NPR obtained a draft of the NIOSH research letter before publication.
    — Howard Berkes, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of obtained
Verb
  • Navy officials said assembly would fall to Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, where aircraft carriers and some submarines are made.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Donations can be made online by visiting the foundation's website.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of made
Verb
  • Snail Mucin When K-beauty broke into the US market in 2016, snail mucin was the introductory ingredient that got everyone hooked.
    — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, Baltimore went and got Forret back by trading reliever Tyler Wells to the Rays.
    — David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of got

Browse Nearby Words

earn
earned
earnest
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Cite this Entry

“Earned.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earned. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on earned

Nglish: Translation of earned for Spanish Speakers

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