earn one's spurs

English

Verb

earn one's spurs (third-person singular simple present earns one's spurs, present participle earning one's spurs, simple past and past participle earned one's spurs or earnt one's spurs)

1. Synonym of win one's spurs
   • 2007, James Diego Vigil, The Projects: Gang and Non-Gang Families in East Los Angeles:

     Further, many of these veteranos had earned their spurs, so to speak, and were respected and looked up to as male role models, even though they no longer were active bangers or slangers.

Further reading

• “earn win your spurs” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “win earn your spurs” (US) / “win earn your spurs” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “earn one's spurs”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “earn one's spurs”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “win ones spurs earn ones spurs”, in Collins English Dictionary.