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
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Daronte Jones, who serves under Brian Flores, who undressed Brian Schottenheimer’s offense here in December, seems like a deserving gentleman.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026
Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
James Cameron’s epic movies always ended up deserving such hype, and the motion capture technology used to make Avatar looked almost unbelievable.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Adjective
These are the 2025 Bears, carrying their magic act into 2026 and starting their playoff story like this, with this kind of wild rally in front of a delirious and deserving home crowd.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Daronte Jones, who serves under Brian Flores, who undressed Brian Schottenheimer’s offense here in December, seems like a deserving gentleman.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
There is some belief Kenneth Murray is deserving of more playing time at middle linebacker despite his struggles.
—Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
James Cameron’s epic movies always ended up deserving such hype, and the motion capture technology used to make Avatar looked almost unbelievable.
—Katie Grant, Parents, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserving
Adjective
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His leadership, along with the rest of his coaching staff, has been crucial in turning a four-win team for the last two NFL seasons into a squad worthy enough of reaching the pinnacle of football once more.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Keep scrolling to shop more of the best Amazon outlet deals to shop this week, from a Michael Kors tote bag to a movie-night-on-the-couch-worthy Eddie Bauer throw blanket.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cannon-Grant was well-known in activist circles in Boston, earning numerous awards, including Boston Globe Magazine’s Bostonian of the Year award and a Boston Celtics Heroes Among Us award, both in 2020 amid nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Only seven units are market rate while the remainder are reserved for residents earning 30%, 50% and 60% of the area median income.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Too many courts for too long have avoided grappling with legitimate and meritorious challenges to election rules by dismissing cases on standing grounds.—
Ashley Lopez,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
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The award would recognize those nominated for bravery or meritorious awards under the existing Australian Honors and Awards system for their actions during and after the attack, according to The Associated Press.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Parents can now set daily time limits or block Shorts entirely, depending on what works best for their household.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Fan and critical consensus touted Kendrick Lamar’s triumphant-if-too-breezy GNX as one of 2024’s best and most successful rap albums.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserving. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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