earning

verb

present participle of earn
1
as in winning
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 deserving
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 earning Thursday’s result, a 6-4 Brewers victory in Game 4, ended the Dodgers’ hopes of earning dynasty status. — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026 Michael Flynn was 28 and working towards earning his PHD in theoretical physics when the 30-foot-long dead tree limb fell over 27 feet onto him, fracturing his skull and changing his life forever. — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 For Lundberg, earning that seal didn’t mean starting from scratch. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 But in reality, some 67% of creators today earn less than $10,000 a year, ​with only a small percentage earning in the millions. — William Daddi, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 In that group, the homeownership rate among those earning over $100,000 was more than three times that of those earning under $50,000. — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 On television, Domingo recently starred in Season 3 of HBO’s Euphoria and Season 2 of Netflix’s The Four Seasons, earning 2026 Emmy Award nominations for both performances. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 One such moment is, in fact, the film’s conclusion, which is similarly open-ended, but without earning enough goodwill to promise a sequel. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 Navy entered the year among the favorites to win the American Conference but opened 2-3 overall and 1-2 in the league, earning its first FBS win last week against Tulsa. — Greg Luca, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earning
  1. winning
  2. deserving
  3. gaining
  4. garnering
  5. reaping
  6. making
  7. obtaining
  8. getting
Verb
  • The bread-winning Global Banking & Markets division delivered strong results, which was very much behind the relatively positive reaction in the stock.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The decision backfired, as Rams kicker Harrison Mevis’s 48-yard game-winning field goal attempt was blocked by defensive end Greg Rousseau — much to the relief of Cook.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of winning
Verb
  • But the game management staff, certain depth chart placements and how the roster fails to reach its potential are deserving of an extensive evaluation.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Millions of dollars in royalties that Smith diverted from real, deserving artists and rights holders.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of deserving
Verb
  • As financial markets have become more accessible, consumers have begun trading sophisticated financial instruments, purchasing fractional shares and gaining exposure to alternative assets in minutes.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Jones flashed his decisiveness and speed on the ensuing play, gaining 14 yards on a quarterback keeper.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of gaining
Verb
  • Before playing for Mario Cristobal, the wide receiver attended Tulane for three years, with his productive 2024 season garnering enough attention that landed him a spot at Miami.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • First garnering recognition for his acting on the Disney XD series Lab Rats, Boldman subsequently has gone on to roles in 21 Jump Street, alongside Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, as well as Disney Channel’s Zapped and the film Cruise.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of garnering
Verb
  • But Scourton is out with a season-ending injury, while Umanmielen is playing better and reaping the benefits of a more consistent routine.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Denver students are reaping the benefits of a fund approved back in 2018.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of reaping
Verb
  • Dogma25 is an initiative of recent Venice Golden Lion winner May el-Toukhy (Woman Unknown), who will be one of the five directors making films under its rules alongside directors Milad Alami, Annika Berg, Eklöf and Just.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • By the time Lee’s moved on to thanking his dad for not believing him, thereby giving him something to prove, an embarrassed Frances is making a quick run for the exit.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of making
Verb
  • The family’s story is mostly told from the perspective of Barb, the youngest sibling, who pushes for answers but puts off obtaining her own genetic test results.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Bell is the latest celebrity to speak out about troubles obtaining SAG-AFTRA health insurance.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of obtaining
Verb
  • Chisell, who previously worked at Amazon, eBay and Starling Bank, estimates that Paysend can now deliver around 25% more engineering work with the same-sized team, but argues that getting results isn’t as simple as handing everyone the latest tech.
    — Lindsay Dodgson, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Fanatics Sportsbook is getting you in on the action with a $20 wager giving you $350 in FanCash when using promo code FOXNEWS350.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of getting

Browse Nearby Words

earnestness
earning
earnings
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Cite this Entry

“Earning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earning. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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