How to Use demerit in a Sentence

demerit

noun
  • Students are given demerits if they arrive late for classes.
  • The story didn’t call Bannon a racist, a demerit in the eyes of some readers.
    — Liz Spayd, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2016
  • Slight demerits are due for the Josh Brown and Corey Perry contracts, though.
    — The Athletic Nhl Staff, The Athletic, 6 July 2024
  • Along with receiving 40 demerits, Donlen had to pay fifty cents as his share of the damage.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 30 Aug. 2024
  • The state can suspend a permit for one to three years, depending on the number of demerits.
    — Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Jan. 2018
  • This mpg demerit is most likely due to the Touring's larger 17-inch wheels.
    — K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 20 Mar. 2020
  • The drivetrain in the MX-30 feels detuned, maybe to stretch the range of its small battery pack, which leads us to our next performance demerit.
    — Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 4 Oct. 2021
  • Demerits and the type of violation dictates whether a pool can stay open.
    — Anna Douglas, charlotteobserver, 26 May 2017
  • While the bar and server station escaped demerits, the rest of the operations didn't fare as well.
    — Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
  • The movie’s one major demerit is a lack of screen time for Cheadle, whose character is a welcome presence in the book.
    — Bonnie Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2022
  • The acetate frames are produced in China — which shouldn’t be taken as a demerit.
    — Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2019
  • This is the first year where having three losses was not considered a demerit.
    — Chuck Todd, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024
  • So count a predictable rise in pig injuries and deaths as a demerit for Proposition 12 — and a cost to farmers and consumers.
    — Will Swaim, National Review, 9 Aug. 2021
  • Food establishments receiving more than 30 demerits have 48 hours to fix the worst problems and then clean up the rest.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Jan. 2025
  • His only demerits on Sunday were two leadoff walks, but only one came back to bite him.
    — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 27 May 2024
  • There’s a system here of rewards and demerits, known as Power Points, that helps the kids understand the value of a currency.
    — Jonathan Jones, SI.com, 25 Jan. 2018
  • If the students slipped up, they were given demerits or forced into the closet as punishment.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 July 2024
  • Fort Worth inspection scores are based on a demerit system.
    — Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2024
  • Fort Worth inspection scores are based on a demerit system.
    — Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2024
  • Fort Worth inspection scores are based on a demerit system.
    — Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 July 2024
  • The moment is ripe for a short book that explains the merits and demerits of America’s financial sector.
    — Daniel W. Drezner, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2017
  • The restaurant was cited for eight demerits and received an A grade after a July 2017 inspection, state records show.
    — Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY, 5 July 2018
  • San Diego’s beloved architecture competition — Orchids and Onions — is back with awards for the best new buildings and projects, as well as demerits for designs that missed the mark.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2023
  • Plus: Pizza Hut gets a demerit for failing to offer giardiniera as a topping or even a side.
    — Monica Eng, Axios, 9 July 2024
  • Did Jonathan Taylor, who clearly has a fumbling issue, his only demerit, seemed to slow up after the point of initial contact?
    — Jeff Potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 13 Nov. 2017
  • Trump himself appears to be wrangling in real time with the benefits and demerits of either approach.
    — Tory Newmyer, Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2018
  • Among Academy’s first collection, there are a handful of pieces that would surely earn demerits.
    — Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 5 Dec. 2023
  • In other words, the restaurants were clean as a whistle and city health inspectors didn't hand out demerits for roaches, rodent droppings or dirty kitchen equipment.
    — Carolina Gonzales, Houston Chronicle, 20 Feb. 2018
  • Restaurants with over 30 demerits are required to fix the worst issues immediately and remedy the rest within 48 hours.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Restaurants with over 30 demerits are required to fix the worst issues immediately and remedy the rest within 48 hours.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Mar. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demerit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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