deserved 1 of 2

deserved

2 of 2

verb

past tense of deserve
as in earned
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deserved
Adjective
But there’s another aspect of military life that rarely gets deserved attention: the relentless cycle of relocation. William Jones, USA Today, 25 July 2025 More Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Regarding that deserved disrepute, the specifics of this new raid are startling. Steve Cortes, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Verb
Fleetwood’s victory was well earned and well deserved. Sheldon H. Jacobson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025 The chatter in the fan base about whether or not Ben deserved his fate was the loudest in terms of a response to any of season one’s plot points. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deserved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserved
Adjective
  • Efficient, neat, always available as a means of compensating for her (completely justified) fear of not being a brilliant enough copywriter.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
  • And this is only the energy aspect, water and land use further add to the cluster of justified environmental concern.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Velasco's wife, a teacher who earned her doctorate alongside him, pushed him to change his approach.
    Erick Trevino, AZCentral.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The scene touched the hearts of viewers and earned rave reviews from critics.
    Carson Blackwelder, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deserved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserved. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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