as in deserved
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong
the punishment, although harsh, was entirely merited
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 merited
Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Other than frustration at surging migration, Latin America has not merited the same level of attention in Washington as the Middle East, Europe or Asia in recent history.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Last season brought a three-win improvement, but the Gulls’ 29-35-5-3 record still merited ninth place.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
But in the case of Madelaine Petsch’s The Strangers trilogy, her executive producer title is well-merited.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
That really merited going from hit iconic artists with catalogs to brand-new artists.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
The request comes amid competing claims and concerns that Dallas acted in a way that merited punishment.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
This hurricane season isn’t the first time the region has merited close attention from the National Hurricane Center, said Dan Brown, branch chief of the center's hurricane specialists.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
And, through the prism of that Chelsea performance and recent home form, fully merited.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Other than frustration at surging migration, Latin America has not merited the same level of attention in Washington as the Middle East, Europe or Asia in recent history.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Last season brought a three-win improvement, but the Gulls’ 29-35-5-3 record still merited ninth place.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
But in the case of Madelaine Petsch’s The Strangers trilogy, her executive producer title is well-merited.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2025
That really merited going from hit iconic artists with catalogs to brand-new artists.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
The request comes amid competing claims and concerns that Dallas acted in a way that merited punishment.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
This hurricane season isn’t the first time the region has merited close attention from the National Hurricane Center, said Dan Brown, branch chief of the center's hurricane specialists.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merited
Adjective
-
Well done, mate, well deserved.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Can that work in the big leagues, where the manager is usually a glorified PR staffer who talks to the media and takes the blame (deserved or not) for losses?—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The justified fear was that without a conference affiliation with the two biggest schools in the Big 12 would be catastrophic to Texas Tech University, its football team, the entire athletic department, and to Lubbock itself.—
Mac Engel
November 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Majumdar lavishes her characters with careful attention, and so the reader comes to regard their most troubling actions as justified, if not inevitable.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Merited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merited. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share