as in weakness
a defect in character
my keyboarding has the advantage of speed but the demerit of inaccuracy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demerit
That’s a demerit for journalists covering the Games, many of whom typically venture from sport to sport and venue to venue to report on the event’s full scope.
—
Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Sunday staged the offense’s damning demerit.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
The merit and demerits of the notes above should be pretty obvious.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Dec. 2025
Tickets for inattentive driving also result in four demerit points on your record.
—Jacob Wilt, jsonline.com, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demerit
Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Sunday staged the offense’s damning demerit.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
The merit and demerits of the notes above should be pretty obvious.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Dec. 2025
Tickets for inattentive driving also result in four demerit points on your record.
—Jacob Wilt, jsonline.com, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demerit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demerit
Noun
-
That's a break from the typical relationship that has tied elevated energy costs to market weakness since the Iran war broke out.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
-
In another post, Newsom said dyslexia isn't a weakness, but a strength.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Dye apologized and admitted fault on social media.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
-
As if the dogs were at fault for this utterly anthropocentric religious affiliation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The tale of Eve being blamed for the sin of man in the Garden of Eden was also a strong inspiration.—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
-
McNair spoke, unsuccessfully, before an Alabama Legislature that wanted to limit how schools teach events, such as the bombing that killed her sister, lest White children feel guilt for the sins of their forebears.—
John Archibald,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One of the most common explanations for this (and for the University City restaurant scene’s shortcomings in general) has to do with how dining districts tend to develop in the first place.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
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The damage to the frigate brought US minesweeping shortcomings to the forefront again.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Because the Duggars adhere to a fundamentalist fringe of evangelicalism, the liberal media are often quick to use the family’s failings as a cautionary tale about Christianity in general, and conservatives can be too quick to interpret criticism of the family as criticism of the church.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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When teachers raised scores for students at threat of failing—from an F to a D, for example—that actually paid off, preventing those students from repeating a grade and improving their high school graduation rate.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The state has sent Dole four notices of deficiency about the dam since 2009 and five years ago fined the company $20,000 for failing to address safety deficiencies on time, according to records.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
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Before injections became routine, up to about 1 in 60 babies suffered vitamin K deficiency bleeding, which can also affect the gastrointestinal tract.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demerit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demerit. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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