deserve

as in to earn
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

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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 deserve Your next outdoor bash or beachside hang deserves some attention to the cookware and coolers you’re bound up grilling with and using to stuff to the brim with ice and beverages. Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 11 July 2025 Every defendant deserves a rigorous defense — this is a bedrock democratic principle. Liz Roberts, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025 These individuals deserve promotions and to be honored for their public service, not put on leave and removed from careers devoted to the American people and advancing the cause of freedom. Olivia Enos, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 But Cash said Orioles hitters deserved some credit, too. Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for deserve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserve
earn
Verb
  • Cities are not required to assist with federal immigration law, but actively obstructing it could earn Mamdani federal charges.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
  • Powell’s strategy to wait for more economic data earned the ire of President Donald Trump.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Deserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserve. Accessed 17 Jul. 2025.

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