as in weaknesses
a defect in character
my keyboarding has the advantage of speed but the demerit of inaccuracy
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Recent Examples of demerits
No establishments scored more than 30 demerits during this round of inspections.
—
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demerits
Noun
-
Majumdar’s psychological precision is what makes the novel’s geopolitical weaknesses feel so pronounced.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
-
At the time, many companies were launching AI tools like chatbots and internal agents at a remarkable pace, but security safeguards struggled to keep up, which would allow malicious actors to spot weaknesses with methods that cybersecurity tools were never built to detect.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The qualities itemized above are not all faults.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
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While the extend of the damage was not immediately clear, the incident was serious enough to cause faults that were detected by the Finnish telecommunications provider Elisa, which operates the link.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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That, plus the lack of talent and cap space thanks to the sins of the Deshaun Watson contract, for which general manager Andrew Berry was somehow spared, makes life difficult for whatever quarterback(s) start for the Browns in 2026.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Yet what elevates the show is its focus on gender relations and atoning for the sins of the past, adding layers of depth beyond its lurid plotting and somewhat ridiculousness.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This iteration of the Prius addresses the shortcomings of its predecessor, transforming the hatchback into an exciting, fun car that can go the distance on a single tank of gas.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The carbon market has been beset by shortcomings and subject to accusations of greenwashing, however.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demerits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demerits. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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