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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of attain
But before Apophis attained its infamous moniker, it was dubbed the less-exciting 2004 MN4 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
—
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Shyanne has clearly been waiting for a man to take care of her, and is (sadly) willing to bury parts of herself to attain this goal.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
The first season ended on a final note, and became wildly popular upon its 2023 release, attaining the coveted top spot on the streaming viewership rankings and winning eight Emmys.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
With the high level of exemptions, the maximum MMR vaccination coverage the state could attain is only around 85 percent.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attain
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026
Shyanne has clearly been waiting for a man to take care of her, and is (sadly) willing to bury parts of herself to attain this goal.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
The first season ended on a final note, and became wildly popular upon its 2023 release, attaining the coveted top spot on the streaming viewership rankings and winning eight Emmys.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
With the high level of exemptions, the maximum MMR vaccination coverage the state could attain is only around 85 percent.
—ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for attain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attain
Verb
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Leicester City achieved a similar feat 10 years ago, but that’s considered the greatest shock in modern football history.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Grandparents are not interested in performance or outcomes, but in substance — not in what a child achieves, but in who that child becomes.—
Peter Folan,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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McDavid had led a 3-on-1 rush that fizzled out and soon after received Bouchard’s outlet pass, returning the puck to him and earning a secondary assist for the Art Ross Trophy winner’s first point of these playoffs.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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Fedde, who came up with the Nationals and played with them from 2017-22, gave up three runs, one earned, on three hits in 5 2/3 innings.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The big man, who won the 2016 NBA Championship as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, previously had his younger sibling under a guardianship, according to TMZ.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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Schindler also put down the winning kill in both games for the Knights (16-5, 1-1).—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Moon strengthens Jupiter’s influence, helping your ideas gain traction with the right people.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
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Both firms are keen to acquire the assets given the rarity of gaining exposure to more than 40 ports in a single deal, the people said.—
Shirley Zhao,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The additional billions that Moscow has reaped because of the Iran war is easing some pressure off Russia’s floundering economy and the Kremlin’s ability to finance the conflict in Ukraine.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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Our collective ethos guided us to develop our ecosystem equitably, ensuring that communities across the Quantum Prairie would reap dividends.—
David Awschalom,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to court records obtained by USA TODAY, a class action lawsuit against Wren Kitchens US subsidiary was filed alleging that the company violated the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Settlements typically require plaintiffs to sign confidentiality agreements, and corporate documents obtained through discovery have to be returned to State Farm or destroyed.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Suddenly, the 107 points and the 113 goals garnered over the first 45 league games of a quite remarkable season were going to count for nothing, save for a tilt at the same play-offs that had proved to be the graveyard of their promotion hopes in the semi-finals a year ago.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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The album also garnered Album of the Year at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, and Album of the Year at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Where things have felt vague, clarity makes a noticeable difference.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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States can also make an independent decision not to allow the sale of a product in their state.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attain. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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