'deserve' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for earn that I've seen before
include
"Attain"
,
"Receive in return for"
,
"Gain through labour or work"
,
"Gain (money, reputation, etc)"
,
"Acquire money by labour"
.)
I've seen this clue in The New York Times, The Guardian, the Penny Press, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Independent, the Universal, the Evening Standard, the King Feature Syndicate, The Mirror, The Telegraph and The Star Tribune.
'deserve' is the definition.
(synonyms)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for merit that I've seen before
include
"Worth; deserve"
,
"of a high order?"
,
"distinction"
,
"Goodness"
,
"Deserve or warrant"
.)
I've seen this clue in The New York Times, The Guardian, the Penny Press, The Independent, The Washington Post, the Evening Standard, The Sun, the USA Today, the LA Times, the King Feature Syndicate, The Times, the Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, The Mirror, The Telegraph and The Star Tribune.