merited 1 of 2

merited

2 of 2

verb

past tense of merit
as in earned
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment) that selfless act of heroism merited a public ceremony to honor the young swimmer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for merited
Adjective
  • Well, almost: Colman Domingo picks up the lone nom in the Supporting Actor category, which, frankly, is well deserved.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • But six months after Spring Training camp in Arizona and amid a run in which the Giants have won only seven of their last 24 games, that optimism has been replaced with justified anger and confusion.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The four teams from Texas are all justified selections for their respective spots.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Merited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merited. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on merited

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!