1
as in achieving
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 earning
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 attaining
Presenting decent, competitive teams with the prospect of attaining the best lottery odds will only further encourage those in the middle of the standings to hold a fire sale at the trade deadline to try to drop down.
—
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 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
For years, Dean Potter stood atop the climbing world, attaining a mystique as a rebellious spirit who carved his own path up mountains and into the sky — through BASE jumping and wingsuit flying.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
In the photo, Alito has the look of a man attaining his destiny.
—Peter S. Canellos, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
His higher calling hit while attaining his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering and computer science from the University of Illinois and University of Illinois Chicago, says the 61-year-old pastor.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Liz Breadon, now the City Council president, added at the time that such a mistake could jeopardize an immigrant’s chances of attaining full citizenship.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Oakland’s leaders envision their town attaining similar big-city status.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 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
For years, Dean Potter stood atop the climbing world, attaining a mystique as a rebellious spirit who carved his own path up mountains and into the sky — through BASE jumping and wingsuit flying.
—Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
In the photo, Alito has the look of a man attaining his destiny.
—Peter S. Canellos, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
His higher calling hit while attaining his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering and computer science from the University of Illinois and University of Illinois Chicago, says the 61-year-old pastor.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
Liz Breadon, now the City Council president, added at the time that such a mistake could jeopardize an immigrant’s chances of attaining full citizenship.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Oakland’s leaders envision their town attaining similar big-city status.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment.
—CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attaining
Verb
-
What went into achieving that brilliant energy between you and Mitchell, behind the scenes?—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Sacking him is an embarrassment for all concerned, but 106 days after his appointment, Chelsea’s executives felt a change was needed to give the club the best possible chance of achieving their remaining aims for the season.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Hawks carried that hot play into the playoffs, earning back-to-back one-point victories in Games 2 and 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
Prior to founding Serenade, Penn spent the past decade as co-founder and CEO of The Department of Motion Pictures and has produced or executive produced more than 20 films, earning credits at Sundance, Telluride, and Cannes.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Aspen Wooten, a talented tennis prodigy who moved from Memphis to Lake Nona with her family as a ninth grader, had accomplished just about everything available in her four-year high school career — including winning more than 100 matches.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
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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Broadnax's case is gaining national attention for what his attorneys say was an unfair trial that saw prosecutors eliminate almost every potential Black juror and use Broadnax's own rap lyrics against him.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
For one, Palestine by Joe Sacco, which found its way onto academic syllabi before gaining steam as a collected volume of graphic reporting.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Do not use reaping decoys while hunting turkeys on public ground.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
-
That influence is now reaping benefits from the community, as attendance and sponsorships continue to rise with their social media presence.—
PJ Green
April 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Faced with a choice between keeping its existing three-night-stay minimum or obtaining state permission for a cap on the total number of vacation rentals allowed in Encinitas, a majority of the City Council opted to stick with the current night-stay requirement.—
Barbara Henry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Detectives conducted a separate investigation that led to Waterbury police obtaining a warrant for his arrest, Morais said.—
Kellie Love,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But by the mid-1920s, Ireland’s focus shifted to garnering a greater sense of stability.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The disinterest by investors in garnering liquidity at a steep discount comes amid a quarter that saw elevated redemptions across most private-credit, non-traded BDCs.—
Leslie Picker,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The agency added city funding is expected to make up the majority of its staffing budget going forward, making its future structure heavily dependent on decisions by the City of Los Angeles.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Las Vegas has depth at the edge, making the Auburn product an interesting pick considering needs like offensive line, defensive tackle and wide receiver are still unfilled.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attaining. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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