diff --git a/_examples/merge/go.mod b/_examples/merge/go.mod
deleted file mode 100644
index 4589bf2..0000000
--- a/_examples/merge/go.mod
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-module github.com/vbauerster/mpb/_examples/merge
-
-go 1.17
-
-require github.com/vbauerster/mpb/v8 v8.4.0
-
-require (
-	github.com/VividCortex/ewma v1.2.0 // indirect
-	github.com/acarl005/stripansi v0.0.0-20180116102854-5a71ef0e047d // indirect
-	github.com/mattn/go-runewidth v0.0.14 // indirect
-	github.com/rivo/uniseg v0.4.4 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.7.0 // indirect
-)
diff --git a/_examples/merge/main.go b/_examples/merge/main.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 20d8065..0000000
--- a/_examples/merge/main.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
-package main
-
-import (
-	"math/rand"
-	"strings"
-	"sync"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/vbauerster/mpb/v8"
-	"github.com/vbauerster/mpb/v8/decor"
-)
-
-func main() {
-	var wg sync.WaitGroup
-	// passed wg will be accounted at p.Wait() call
-	p := mpb.New(mpb.WithWaitGroup(&wg), mpb.WithWidth(60))
-	total, numBars := 100, 3
-	wg.Add(numBars)
-
-	for i := 0; i < numBars; i++ {
-		var pdecorators mpb.BarOption
-		if i == 0 {
-			pdecorators = mpb.PrependDecorators(
-				decor.Merge(
-					decor.OnComplete(
-						newVariadicSpinner(decor.WCSyncSpace),
-						"done",
-					),
-					decor.WCSyncSpace, // Placeholder
-					decor.WCSyncSpace, // Placeholder
-				),
-			)
-		} else {
-			pdecorators = mpb.PrependDecorators(
-				decor.CountersNoUnit("% .1d / % .1d", decor.WCSyncSpace),
-				decor.OnComplete(decor.Spinner(nil, decor.WCSyncSpace), "done"),
-				decor.OnComplete(decor.Spinner(nil, decor.WCSyncSpace), "done"),
-			)
-		}
-		bar := p.AddBar(int64(total),
-			pdecorators,
-			mpb.AppendDecorators(
-				decor.OnComplete(decor.EwmaETA(decor.ET_STYLE_GO, 30), "done"),
-			),
-		)
-		// simulating some work
-		go func() {
-			defer wg.Done()
-			rng := rand.New(rand.NewSource(time.Now().UnixNano()))
-			max := 100 * time.Millisecond
-			for i := 0; i < total; i++ {
-				// start variable is solely for EWMA calculation
-				// EWMA's unit of measure is an iteration's duration
-				start := time.Now()
-				time.Sleep(time.Duration(rng.Intn(10)+1) * max / 10)
-				// we need to call EwmaIncrement to fulfill ewma decorator's contract
-				bar.EwmaIncrement(time.Since(start))
-			}
-		}()
-	}
-	// wait for passed wg and for all bars to complete and flush
-	p.Wait()
-}
-
-func newVariadicSpinner(wc decor.WC) decor.Decorator {
-	spinner := decor.Spinner(nil)
-	fn := func(s decor.Statistics) string {
-		return strings.Repeat(spinner.Decor(s), int(s.Current/3))
-	}
-	return decor.Any(fn, wc)
-}
diff --git a/bar_option.go b/bar_option.go
index 024f2e1..71ce452 100644
--- a/bar_option.go
+++ b/bar_option.go
@@ -14,11 +14,6 @@
 	for _, decorator := range decorators {
 		if decorator == nil {
 			continue
-		}
-		if d, ok := decorator.(interface {
-			PlaceHolders() []decor.Decorator
-		}); ok {
-			dest = append(dest, d.PlaceHolders()...)
 		}
 		dest = append(dest, decorator)
 	}
diff --git a/decor/merge.go b/decor/merge.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 02b7a93..0000000
--- a/decor/merge.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,111 +0,0 @@
-package decor
-
-import (
-	"strings"
-
-	"github.com/acarl005/stripansi"
-	"github.com/mattn/go-runewidth"
-)
-
-var (
-	_ Decorator = (*mergeDecorator)(nil)
-	_ Wrapper   = (*mergeDecorator)(nil)
-	_ Decorator = (*placeHolderDecorator)(nil)
-)
-
-// Merge wraps its decorator argument with intention to sync width
-// with several decorators of another bar. Visual example:
-//
-//	+----+--------+---------+--------+
-//	| B1 |      MERGE(D, P1, Pn)     |
-//	+----+--------+---------+--------+
-//	| B2 |   D0   |   D1    |   Dn   |
-//	+----+--------+---------+--------+
-func Merge(decorator Decorator, placeholders ...WC) Decorator {
-	if decorator == nil {
-		return nil
-	}
-	if _, ok := decorator.Sync(); !ok || len(placeholders) == 0 {
-		return decorator
-	}
-	md := &mergeDecorator{
-		Decorator:    decorator,
-		wc:           decorator.GetConf(),
-		placeHolders: make([]Decorator, len(placeholders)),
-	}
-	decorator.SetConf(WC{})
-	for i, wc := range placeholders {
-		if (wc.C & DSyncWidth) == 0 {
-			return decorator
-		}
-		md.placeHolders[i] = &placeHolderDecorator{wc.Init()}
-	}
-	return md
-}
-
-type mergeDecorator struct {
-	Decorator
-	wc           WC
-	placeHolders []Decorator
-}
-
-func (d *mergeDecorator) GetConf() WC {
-	return d.wc
-}
-
-func (d *mergeDecorator) SetConf(conf WC) {
-	d.wc = conf.Init()
-}
-
-func (d *mergeDecorator) PlaceHolders() []Decorator {
-	return d.placeHolders
-}
-
-func (d *mergeDecorator) Sync() (chan int, bool) {
-	return d.wc.Sync()
-}
-
-func (d *mergeDecorator) Unwrap() Decorator {
-	return d.Decorator
-}
-
-func (d *mergeDecorator) Decor(s Statistics) string {
-	msg := d.Decorator.Decor(s)
-	pureWidth := runewidth.StringWidth(msg)
-	stripWidth := runewidth.StringWidth(stripansi.Strip(msg))
-	cellCount := stripWidth
-	if (d.wc.C & DextraSpace) != 0 {
-		cellCount++
-	}
-
-	total := runewidth.StringWidth(d.placeHolders[0].GetConf().FormatMsg(""))
-	pw := (cellCount - total) / len(d.placeHolders)
-	rem := (cellCount - total) % len(d.placeHolders)
-
-	var diff int
-	for i := 1; i < len(d.placeHolders); i++ {
-		wc := d.placeHolders[i].GetConf()
-		width := pw - diff
-		if (wc.C & DextraSpace) != 0 {
-			width--
-			if width < 0 {
-				width = 0
-			}
-		}
-		max := runewidth.StringWidth(wc.FormatMsg(strings.Repeat(" ", width)))
-		total += max
-		diff = max - pw
-	}
-
-	d.wc.wsync <- pw + rem
-	max := <-d.wc.wsync
-	return d.wc.fill(msg, max+total+(pureWidth-stripWidth))
-}
-
-type placeHolderDecorator struct {
-	WC
-}
-
-func (d *placeHolderDecorator) Decor(Statistics) string {
-	return ""
-}