as in decorations
a piece of metal given in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement
the display case held an impressive array of military medals from World War II
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Recent Examples of medals
The full marathon medals, often compared to the size of a dinner plate, play off the literary theme this year.
—
Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
Besides the two champions, Poway ended with 11 medals and looks ready to make a serious challenge in next year’s finals.
—Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Former Liverpool captain Alan Hansen was derided for saying that about Manchester United at the start of the 1995-96 season, which would end with Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham and Paul Scholes (all 21) and Phil Neville (19) all clutching Premier League and FA Cup winners’ medals.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Van De Sampel received various medals during his time in the Air Force and has been certified in a number of different trainings offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the news release.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
The United States came away with 33 total medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, and many came from the female athletes who showed out in Italy this month.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Feb. 2026
The Olympic organizers announced a fix within days, and reportedly asked athletes with medals that had manufacturing defects or accidental damage to turn them in for repair or replacement.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 26 Feb. 2026
With 33 total medals and plenty of nail-biting moments, Team USA just delivered its best Winter Games ever.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
With the largest delegation of any country at the Games, the United States won the second-most medals with 33, including 12 golds, the most Olympic titles for the country at any single Winter Games.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
Besides the two champions, Poway ended with 11 medals and looks ready to make a serious challenge in next year’s finals.
—Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Former Liverpool captain Alan Hansen was derided for saying that about Manchester United at the start of the 1995-96 season, which would end with Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham and Paul Scholes (all 21) and Phil Neville (19) all clutching Premier League and FA Cup winners’ medals.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2026
Van De Sampel received various medals during his time in the Air Force and has been certified in a number of different trainings offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to the news release.
—R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
The United States came away with 33 total medals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, and many came from the female athletes who showed out in Italy this month.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 27 Feb. 2026
The Olympic organizers announced a fix within days, and reportedly asked athletes with medals that had manufacturing defects or accidental damage to turn them in for repair or replacement.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 26 Feb. 2026
With 33 total medals and plenty of nail-biting moments, Team USA just delivered its best Winter Games ever.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
With the largest delegation of any country at the Games, the United States won the second-most medals with 33, including 12 golds, the most Olympic titles for the country at any single Winter Games.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for medals
Noun
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Panahi paused to look at a corner store selling decorations for the Lunar New Year.—
H. C. Wilentz,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The recipe starts with a rich chocolate cake mix, then puts the focus on springtime decorations for the holiday table.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Beazley continued reviewing footage, and noticed that the infiltrator’s reflective vest bore the insignia of the security firm that had installed the cameras.—
James Verini,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
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Other lots in the vast collection of the German cyclist also include a Ferrari golf bag that could fetch $300, carburetors for a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona that are estimated to go for as high as $23,000, and two standing tables with Ferrari insignia on them that could sell for $475.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Between the 1990s and the 2010s, North Korea had one of the world’s best women’s football teams, winning three Asian Cup titles and more trophies across the continent.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
3 Mar. 2026
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Laxe’s feature won six Goyas at the event, held in Barcelona on Saturday night, scoring trophies for best sound, cinematography, editing and original score.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When the brothers came face-to-face, each wearing a vest and medallions and bell-bottoms, the mirror image unnerved them both.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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Once can combine a gold chain for a necklace or bracelet with pieces from a wide assortment of medallions, charms, initials, and other designs with talisman appeal.—
Laurie Brookins,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Medals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/medals. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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