as in undeserved
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Recent Examples of unmerited
The match was forgotten except by those who endured it; the thought of giving it an unmerited second life by mentioning it in this article gave me serious pause.
—
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Lest you be concerned, there's no unmerited nepotism here.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The very picture of God’s unmerited favor and love.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 24 July 2025
Aimee Zavala, a twenty-nine-year-old who left the area around this time, believed that the police response was unmerited.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Now, half a century ago, Congress realized that Social Security benefit windfalls for public sector employees were costly, unnecessary and unmerited.
—Andrew Biggs, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Some have claimed that the cuts are unmerited, given that culture funding accounts for just over 2 percent of Berlin city budget.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Dec. 2024
But such intercommunal attacks, however vicious and unmerited, are not the cause of the M23 rebellion but a response to it: many Congolese of other ethnicities automatically assume local Tutsis support the rebel group and have therefore lashed out against them.
—Michela Wrong, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2023
This does not excuse the subsequent Republican descent into conspiracy-theory madness and all that has followed from that, but the kernel of mistrust at the center of that paranoiac outlook is not entirely unmerited.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 26 May 2021
The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Lest you be concerned, there's no unmerited nepotism here.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025
The very picture of God’s unmerited favor and love.
—Hannah Sacks, People.com, 24 July 2025
Aimee Zavala, a twenty-nine-year-old who left the area around this time, believed that the police response was unmerited.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Now, half a century ago, Congress realized that Social Security benefit windfalls for public sector employees were costly, unnecessary and unmerited.
—Andrew Biggs, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Some have claimed that the cuts are unmerited, given that culture funding accounts for just over 2 percent of Berlin city budget.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 6 Dec. 2024
But such intercommunal attacks, however vicious and unmerited, are not the cause of the M23 rebellion but a response to it: many Congolese of other ethnicities automatically assume local Tutsis support the rebel group and have therefore lashed out against them.
—Michela Wrong, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2023
This does not excuse the subsequent Republican descent into conspiracy-theory madness and all that has followed from that, but the kernel of mistrust at the center of that paranoiac outlook is not entirely unmerited.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 26 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmerited
Adjective
-
Grits may get a bad rap for being bland and mushy, but that reputation is really undeserved.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
14 Dec. 2025
-
For a future Hall of Famer in what was expected to be his final NBA season, this move felt undeserved.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
3 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
To make matters worse, charging nonresidents more than residents pay is mean-spirited and unfair.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Dungy wrote on social media that the schedule was unfair.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The belief is that forcing the long-term occupant to leave could result in undue hardship or injustice.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
-
This is a tale of undue influence.—
Virginia Hammerle,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The lawsuit alleges violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act, multiple state antitrust statutes and unjust enrichment laws.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The 36-year-old ex-offensive tackle filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, accusing the 33-year-old model of invasion of privacy and unjust enrichment, according court documents obtained by TMZ Sports.—
Jami Ganz,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Critics, including Minnesota officials, law-enforcement experts and civil rights advocates, point to video footage and witness accounts that didn’t show an imminent threat, calling the shooting unjustified.—
Maria Paula Mijares Torres,
Fortune,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Good's defenders – including city and state leaders – are calling what happened an unjustified attack; federal authorities say the agent was acting in self-defense.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
However, videos taken by eyewitnesses have led many to decry the shooting as unwarranted.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Democrats pushed back, specifically leaders in New Orleans who said a deployment was unwarranted.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unmerited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmerited. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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