as in deserved
being what is called for by accepted standards of right and wrong
the punishment, although harsh, was entirely merited
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Recent Examples of merited
Harvey Young, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
Yes, there were a few on Sunday night that merited free throws.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Despite disagreement with Weaver's politics, however, legislators at that time appeared to agree that the policy and conduct of federal agents merited scrutiny.
—Odette Yousef, NPR, 24 Jan. 2026
Avicii would need to wait a few more decades to qualify, his beats surely merited a place.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
But, Holcomb added, the defendant merited some time behind bars.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Losing both offensive and defensive coordinators the way the Lions did merited that.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh sang each other’s praises, as merited.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
There is evidence of other complete burials at the site, indicating that the woman must have merited special treatment, Thompson said.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
Shuttle launches rarely merited prolonged attention in the national news.
—Harvey Young, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
Yes, there were a few on Sunday night that merited free throws.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Despite disagreement with Weaver's politics, however, legislators at that time appeared to agree that the policy and conduct of federal agents merited scrutiny.
—Odette Yousef, NPR, 24 Jan. 2026
Avicii would need to wait a few more decades to qualify, his beats surely merited a place.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
But, Holcomb added, the defendant merited some time behind bars.
—City News Service, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Losing both offensive and defensive coordinators the way the Lions did merited that.
—Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh sang each other’s praises, as merited.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
There is evidence of other complete burials at the site, indicating that the woman must have merited special treatment, Thompson said.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merited
Adjective
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The promotion is not only well deserved—programming launched under Walden has received over 1,200 awards, including more than 400 Emmys.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
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Hopefully the Yankees will see fit to celebrate the 1976 season in different ways this year and in that respect there can be no better time to present Nettles, the greatest of all (clean) Yankee third baseman, with a long overdue and much deserved plaque in Monument Park.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment, but officials there have broadly defended the department’s actions as not only justified but necessary for ensuring the rule of law and holding alleged criminals to account.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
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In the clip, Durant rattled off several tweets that referenced his ashy skin while promoting his partnership with CeraVe, responding to the critics' takes online with justified explanations of each — and a healthy dose of a good sense of humor.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merited. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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