attain

verb

ə-ˈtān How to pronounce attain (audio)
Definition of attainnext
1
as in to achieve
to obtain (as a goal) through effort Napoléon had attained mastery of much of Europe at that point

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to earn
to receive as return for effort with hard work she will inevitably attain success in her chosen profession

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 attain During its orbit, S301 attains speeds more than 100,000 times faster than a commercial airliner—over eight percent the speed of light. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 Created just one year before Mickey Mouse, Oswald has attained cult status in Disney history. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026 The goal needing to be attained was being a Jew, a citizen, and a German all at the same time. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 What came to me was a simple but valuable intuition that healing is not about attaining the grace of God, but about the loving freedom that comes from reflecting God! — Dilshad Khambatta Eames, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for attain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attain
  1. achieve
  2. earn
  3. win
  4. gain
  5. reap
  6. obtain
  7. garner
  8. make
Verb
  • The team achieved 10 times better performance than GNSS systems, with a one nautical mile of positioning accuracy.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Kusama also achieved something that has eluded other artists who were co-opted by commerce and converted avant-garde energies into branding, including Warhol, Haring, Koons, and Murakami.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of achieve
Verb
  • Some soldiers distinguished themselves by helping to render emergency trauma response and first aid to civilians, earning individual service commendations, according to the Arkansas National Guard.
    — Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, those five writers — also DSA-LA members — panned the idea of an endorsement, saying Raman hasn’t earned it.
    — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of earn
Verb
  • All the drama from last week’s showdown with the season-21 designers is resolved by season 22 winning the unconventional-materials challenge.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Chidgasornpongse won best director in the Asian New Talent competition at the Shanghai International Film Festival, where Sompop Songkampol also took best actor.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of win
Verb
  • Oswego finished seven of its 11 drives by scoring points and gained 483 yards.
    — Jerry Birchfield, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Iceland, which gained independence from Denmark in 1944, has a proud history of independence, of not allowing itself to be pushed around by bigger and richer European nations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of gain
Verb
  • And now, the prequel films get to reap the benefits of the chemistry that Banks and Harrelson cultivated.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Binders upon binders of policies on people like him that Wall Street was waiting on to die to reap their returns.
    — Vito Emanuel, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of reap
Verb
  • According to the police documents obtained by Law & Crime, Weatherall, 22, ordered a Lyft ride to an apartment complex in Greenville.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
  • After obtaining the suspect's name and descriptions of both the man and his vehicle, DeLong cleared the call.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of obtain
Verb
  • Her cycle of resurrections, the highs and lows, didn’t seem to change her much over the years, even as the highs garnered her over half a billion dollars.
    — Shima Oliaee, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Trio would garner Parton her first, and so far only, Grammy Award nomination for album of the year.
    — Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of garner
Verb
  • The win made Okamoto the first Japanese actress to receive Cannes’ best actress honor.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Apart from deepening its presence in existing markets, IHH is also considering expanding into adjacent countries, though Prem admits that no concrete plans have yet been made.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of make

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attacks
attain
attainability
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Cite this Entry

“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attain. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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