earned; earning; earns
1
a
: to receive as return for effort and especially for work done or services rendered
b
: to bring in by way of return
bonds earning 10 percent interest
2
a
: to come to be duly worthy of or entitled or suited to
she earned a promotion
b
: to make worthy of or obtain for
the suggestion earned him a promotion
earner
noun
earn·er
ˈərnər;
ˈə̄nə(r,
ˈəin-
plural -s
: one that earns especially money
however trite they may be Westerns are among the motion-picture industry's best earners
—often used in combinationwage earners
Examples of earn in a Sentence
Verb (1)
during my teen years I earned pocket money by mowing lawns
you've earned the afternoon off after all that hard work
Recent Examples on the Web
Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
Javon Bardwell, the first member of the high school recruiting class of 2027 to commit to play basketball at Kansas, earned a spot on the five-player Adidas Eurocamp all-tournament team following his recent performance at the 70-player, three-day event in Treviso, Italy.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
As a player, earned three All-American awards and set school records for goals in a career (392) and season (138 in 1978).
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
The All-American earned his second straight Sentinel All-Area honor with 55 goals, 51 assists and 42 ground balls.
—Steve Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for earn
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Verb
After earning a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from North Carolina State University in 2015, Davis completed a master’s degree in space studies with a concentration in aerospace science from American Military University between 2018 and 2022.
—Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026
Javon Bardwell, the first member of the high school recruiting class of 2027 to commit to play basketball at Kansas, earned a spot on the five-player Adidas Eurocamp all-tournament team following his recent performance at the 70-player, three-day event in Treviso, Italy.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
As a player, earned three All-American awards and set school records for goals in a career (392) and season (138 in 1978).
—Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
The All-American earned his second straight Sentinel All-Area honor with 55 goals, 51 assists and 42 ground balls.
—Steve Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for earn
Cite this Entry
“Earn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earn. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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