Home/Rootonym/Deserving praise, reward and esteem; qualifying for and worthy of earning commendation (adjective)
Deserving praise, reward and esteem; qualifying for and worthy of earning commendation (adjective)
USA Today Rootonym clue · 11 letters · last seen July 25, 2026
Answer
MERITORIOUS
The Root
MERmeans “earn, deserve”
In a sentence: Doug received a commendation for his MERITORIOUS military service that spanned 30 years.
About this clue
The Rootonym clue “Deserving praise, reward and esteem; qualifying for and worthy of earning commendation (adjective)” has the answer MERITORIOUS (11 letters), built on the root MER, which means “earn, deserve”. See the full July 25, 2026 Rootonym puzzle for the other three words, or browse all Rootonym answers.