obtain

verb

əb-ˈtān How to pronounce obtain (audio)
Definition of obtainnext
as in to earn
to receive as return for effort after years of proving herself, she obtained recognition as a serious journalist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 obtain There are also new details from the university’s Title IX investigation, records of which were exclusively obtained by the New York Times and corroborated by Doe’s attorney. — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 The attackers were then able to obtain privileged internal access and bypass the normal customer-facing withdrawal process without stealing private keys, Mandiant reported. — Matthew Tan, CNBC, 2 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. — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026 The Miami Herald has since obtained copies of Castro’s travel documents from the city through a public records request. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for obtain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obtain
  1. earn
  2. gain
  3. win
  4. reap
  5. garner
  6. get
  7. make
  8. attain
Verb
  • Formed in 2012, Polaris broke through with 2017’s The Mortal Coil and 2020’s The Death of Me, both of which debuted in the Australian Top 10 and earned ARIA nominations for best hard rock/heavy metal album.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Referees showed head coach Nate Miller a pair of yellow cards a minute apart, earning him an ejection 21 minutes into the game.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of earn
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
  • 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
  • Yet despite winning billions of dollars of investment in new factories, the region is reaping fewer benefits than its leaders may have hoped.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • More recently, De Luca and Abdy’s ambitious gambits have failed to reap profits.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of reap
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
  • 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
Verb
  • The tiered floor plans inside the third-floor suites and villas make those rooms less accessible.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The four-door grand tourer makes more than 1,000 hp from three motors, two at the rear and one up front.
    — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of make
Verb
  • Claudia, often understood as the avatar for Michele, is the child vampire Louis had to love, lose, and grieve for Rice to attain any kind of catharsis.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
  • At the heart of Fee’s heroic narratives is the idea of a self that attains purity.
    — Garth Greenwell, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of attain

Browse Nearby Words

obstructs
obtain
obtainability
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All