as in distinctions
a quality that gives something special worth
this mystery novel at least has the merit of an original plot
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Recent Examples of merits
Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026
Weeks before reports that United was considering a deal with American (which rebuffed the idea) Kirby paid a visit to the White House and pitched the merits of the airline merger to Trump himself — an idea the president was said to be receptive to, according to a person briefed on the meeting.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The Supreme Court gave no reasoning, did not weigh on the merits, and stripped over hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans of their TPS, leaving them vulnerable to detention and deportation.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Legal experts and former officials are split largely along ideological lines on the merits of the SPLC prosecution.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Reaping this benefit begins by examining how hiring practices may be screening out viable talent before candidates are truly evaluated on their merits.
—Brian Fabes, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
DeSantis also said Wednesday that Asian Americans had faced discrimination in university admissions and that people should be judged on their merits not their demographic backgrounds.
—Mike Schneider, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Now is the time for Colorado leaders to push back on this bad decision and fight for a future where disaster declarations are considered on their merits and qualifications, not on the angry whims of one man.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The merits docket – the ordinary process – is methodical.
—Wayne Unger, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
The 272-page volume lacks an index, but that’s why Steve Jobs invented \⌘ + F; a digital search reveals that George Lucas and his eponymous film studio are name-dropped 31 times, whereas ESPN merits only 17 mentions.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
The undulating glass and steel structure of The National Art Center merits a visit on its own.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2026
His journey merits its own movie.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
So much merits our contempt, out there and probably in ourselves, too.
—Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Other viewers may be left wondering why all of this merits a full-length movie, or at least one that unconvincingly tries to turn fact into fiction.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
Don Juan Moore/Getty Images To get ahead of the issue, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ban on all drone flights over the Super Bowl, which has been classified by the federal government as a top special event that merits extensive interagency support.
—Anna Schecter, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
For the Sweden Democrats and their coalition, culture, like borders, merits strategic defense.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
The Tuesday order is not on the merits of the case challenging the vote, which the Virginia Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the day before.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026
Weeks before reports that United was considering a deal with American (which rebuffed the idea) Kirby paid a visit to the White House and pitched the merits of the airline merger to Trump himself — an idea the president was said to be receptive to, according to a person briefed on the meeting.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The Supreme Court gave no reasoning, did not weigh on the merits, and stripped over hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans of their TPS, leaving them vulnerable to detention and deportation.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
Legal experts and former officials are split largely along ideological lines on the merits of the SPLC prosecution.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Reaping this benefit begins by examining how hiring practices may be screening out viable talent before candidates are truly evaluated on their merits.
—Brian Fabes, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
DeSantis also said Wednesday that Asian Americans had faced discrimination in university admissions and that people should be judged on their merits not their demographic backgrounds.
—Mike Schneider, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Now is the time for Colorado leaders to push back on this bad decision and fight for a future where disaster declarations are considered on their merits and qualifications, not on the angry whims of one man.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
The merits docket – the ordinary process – is methodical.
—Wayne Unger, The Conversation, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
The longest losing streak in 22 years certainly merits some sort of shakeup beyond just the lineup.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
The 272-page volume lacks an index, but that’s why Steve Jobs invented \⌘ + F; a digital search reveals that George Lucas and his eponymous film studio are name-dropped 31 times, whereas ESPN merits only 17 mentions.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
The undulating glass and steel structure of The National Art Center merits a visit on its own.
—Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2026
His journey merits its own movie.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
So much merits our contempt, out there and probably in ourselves, too.
—Dan Brooks, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Other viewers may be left wondering why all of this merits a full-length movie, or at least one that unconvincingly tries to turn fact into fiction.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
Don Juan Moore/Getty Images To get ahead of the issue, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ban on all drone flights over the Super Bowl, which has been classified by the federal government as a top special event that merits extensive interagency support.
—Anna Schecter, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
For the Sweden Democrats and their coalition, culture, like borders, merits strategic defense.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merits
Noun
-
Among its many distinctions, SPLC is known for bankrupting the Ku Klux Klan.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Kings narrowly cleared the playoff hurdle with the lowest point total, worst goal differential and other ignominious distinctions among postseason qualifiers in a season where goals and wins, particularly in regulation, were rather infrequent.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The rugged island—the fourth-largest in the Mediterranean Sea—sits southeast of the French Riviera and deserves much more time than a quick stroll around the port.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Caleb Lomu’s selection deserves high marks for several reasons that start right there.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
All virtues rely on some set of conditions for their relevance.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In her writings and website biographies, Morganroth extolled the virtues of freedom of speech, of seeking the truth no matter the roadblocks and of adhering to strong ethical values.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Leaky edges in pass pro will be less concerning with smaller spaces to patrol, while his punch timing and lateral quickness provide advantages.—
Matthew Mowery,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
One of those advantages is the anti-inflammatory effects.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the king said despite the fundamental disagreement between the countries, the United States inherited its democratic values from the United Kingdom.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Then, to estimate climate impact, these EI values were plugged into DLR’s contrail and climate models (a contrail plume model and a global climate model).—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merits. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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