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
Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 3 June 2026
There are merits to both approaches, but also considerable risks.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
And James Bond works on a similar frequency, now more a figure of myth—author Ian Fleming died more than six decades ago—than any sort of direct commentary on the merits of western espionage.
—Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Local officials will continue to argue Sacramento deserves a permanent Major League team on its merits.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2026
For all the complaints about regulatory costs, labor laws, risk-taking, energy costs and other challenges, there are merits to creating companies here.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 28 May 2026
The merits of the lawsuit were questioned by legal experts.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
Tatis could have continued fighting inside the arbitration for his right to have a final hearing on the merits and to assert narrower arguments related to athlete investment contracts, such as whether the athlete has to pay on their gross or net earnings.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 May 2026
The motion also cites whistleblower accounts that accused top Justice Department officials of rushing forward with an indictment despite internal concerns about the merits of the case and the strength of the evidence.
—Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Cousins thinks that still-prevalent bias merits rethinking.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 May 2026
Team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White also merits a place, having scored 14 goals and provided four assists from his all-action midfield role.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 22 May 2026
At the New Mexico resort nestled in the southernmost Rockies, though, the trail merits only a single black diamond.
—Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 7 May 2026
DeSantis is arguing that Florida’s significant growth over the past few years merits a redraw of the state’s congressional boundaries.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
While the char siu and pork belly draw plenty of attention — as well as regular lines out the door — her panang curry merits equal regard.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
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
Noun
The company and its advocates would rather debate the merits of one particular study instead of [ShotSpotter parent company] SoundThinking's track record of evading evidence based accountability in Chicago.
—Asal Rezaei, CBS News, 3 June 2026
There are merits to both approaches, but also considerable risks.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
And James Bond works on a similar frequency, now more a figure of myth—author Ian Fleming died more than six decades ago—than any sort of direct commentary on the merits of western espionage.
—Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Local officials will continue to argue Sacramento deserves a permanent Major League team on its merits.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2026
For all the complaints about regulatory costs, labor laws, risk-taking, energy costs and other challenges, there are merits to creating companies here.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 28 May 2026
The merits of the lawsuit were questioned by legal experts.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
Tatis could have continued fighting inside the arbitration for his right to have a final hearing on the merits and to assert narrower arguments related to athlete investment contracts, such as whether the athlete has to pay on their gross or net earnings.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 26 May 2026
The motion also cites whistleblower accounts that accused top Justice Department officials of rushing forward with an indictment despite internal concerns about the merits of the case and the strength of the evidence.
—Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Verb
Though there is much in the circumstance that merits applause, the mainstay of the effort was not to provide a positive mathematical proof per se, but instead to discover a counterexample that undercuts a prevailing conjecture regarding the solution to the thorny problem.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Cousins thinks that still-prevalent bias merits rethinking.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 May 2026
Team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White also merits a place, having scored 14 goals and provided four assists from his all-action midfield role.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 22 May 2026
At the New Mexico resort nestled in the southernmost Rockies, though, the trail merits only a single black diamond.
—Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 7 May 2026
DeSantis is arguing that Florida’s significant growth over the past few years merits a redraw of the state’s congressional boundaries.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
While the char siu and pork belly draw plenty of attention — as well as regular lines out the door — her panang curry merits equal regard.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merits
Noun
-
According to Keller, one of the most important distinctions people should understand is that policy memoranda do not independently change federal immigration law.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
Applying terrorism designations to criminal syndicates, Brazilian officials say, conflicts with domestic legal definitions and risks blurring distinctions underpinning international counterterrorism law.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
But there may be another lesson from history that deserves attention.—
Robert Ginsburg,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Local officials will continue to argue Sacramento deserves a permanent Major League team on its merits.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Every wartime president extols the nation’s virtues.—
Michael Kazin,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
-
Through its characters, the book stages an argument about the virtues of various types of maps—those that are measured, those that are recollected, those that are dreamed.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Plus, having two accomplished sisters has its advantages.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
That disconnect is beginning to create what could become the new trust economy—one in which governance, authentication, transparency and accountability become strategic advantages for the companies in this space, rather than just operational or compliance obstacles.—
Jacques Ledbetter,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Forecast values calculated by CNBC.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
But now the collapse of values at the top has become untenable.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merits. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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