Was worthy of (6)
I believe the answer is:
earned
'was worthy of' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for earned that I've seen before include "'Deserved, merited (6)'" , "Merited through behavior" , "Merited through work" , "Received money for work" , "Neared (anag.)" .)