as in worthy
having sufficient worth or merit to receive one's honor, esteem, or reward
gifts donated to deserving children every Christmas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in earning
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment)
the team really deserved that victory after the way they played
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deserving
Jason Jones, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Teammates including James and Doncic count Reaves among their peers deserving of star status.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
Adames looked nothing like a player deserving of a $182 million deal in the first few months as a Giant.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Adjective
The 65-game benchmark is unnecessary for trying to fix something voters have no control over — when players play — and forces voters to reward players who might not be deserving of league-wide honors.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Teammates including James and Doncic count Reaves among their peers deserving of star status.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
Zamora Wilson began a committee hearing last week by quoting Benjamin Franklin’s line about how giving up essential liberty for temporary safety makes one deserving of neither.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
Adames looked nothing like a player deserving of a $182 million deal in the first few months as a Giant.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserving
Adjective
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Overturning Citizens United is a worthy long-term goal.—
Alisa Kaplan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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The event features large photo-worthy Nat Geo Yellow Border frames, interactive medium frames, and discoverable small frames, all designed for guests to snap, explore, and experience the magic of nature all around them.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Households earning over $100,000 annually now account for roughly 75 percent of Walmart’s recent market share gains.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Those two will set the tone for Orlando and remain crucial to earning three points at home.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The counter argument is that if athletes’ third-party beneficiary claims are meritorious, those athletes have a right to be heard.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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He has been recognized six times by the Police Department for excellent and meritorious police duty, according to the NYPD’s website.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Gluting is ranked as the second best left-hander in Illinois in the 2027 class by Prep Baseball Report behind Benet’s Quinn Rooney, who’s a Notre Dame recruit.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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But UConn, usually at its best after making halftime adjustments, immediately fell behind again in the third.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserving. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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