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 Las Vegas earned a 94-83 victory and eliminated Indiana for the second consecutive season. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 Eisenberg earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Zuckerberg. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026 For reference, a single person with no kids needs to earn at least $54,037 to survive in Miami-Dade, according to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator. — Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026 For kids who earn money, parents may want to open a custodial IRA or Roth IRA on their behalf. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for earn

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earn

Verb

Elephants in the Fog competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival this year, winning the Jury Prize.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Award-winning chef Kai Mueller has created a large and unusual menu that leans into the location, with a much healthier twist (all dishes that are safe to have on the detox programme are clearly marked).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of win

Verb

The operating moment unifies these capabilities, enabling leaders to determine whether an opportunity deserves pursuit before momentum develops.

— Adam Feiner, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
The defense deserves a lot of credit (and Johnson deserves credit for hiring Dennis Allen as his defensive coordinator), but scoring 50 points with those two QBs shows that Johnson is one of the league’s sharpest offensive minds.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of deserve

Verb

The aim is to help a variety of institutions gain insights into the origins of their collections, providing a basis for further actions.

— Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Related Explore See latest videos, charts and news The tracking week included an extended holiday and saw few new releases, and perhaps with demand for reading also running high, long-selling novels gained points across the board.

— Billboard Japan, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of gain

Verb

Eisenberg’s film garnered considerable laughs — and applause — from the theater-going crowd at its starry NYFF screening that saw Eisenberg, the cast, producer Emma Stone and even Claire Danes in attendance.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
The petition had garnered more than 12,000 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon.

— Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of garner

Verb

An April 2025 legionella report obtained by The Sacramento Bee shows the bacteria was found in at least 17 samples, including those taken from the men’s locker room, a women’s bathroom and several janitor closets.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Caputo said the idea for the citizenship-for-investment program emerged during Milei's July 2024 visit to Sun Valley, Idaho, when tech executives expressed interest in obtaining Argentine citizenship.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of obtain

Verb

As the day winds down, get cozy in the living room for a game of cards and a glass of South African wine, or watch the sun set from the stone terrace.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Each of the six main suspects get their chance to give their version of events on the day of Jodie’s death, effectively supplying their own alibis.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of get

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earmarks

earn

earned

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Style

“Earn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earn. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of earn

verb

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