lack 1 of 2

noun

Definition of lacknext
1
as in absence
the fact or state of being absent the lack of news about the fate of the soldiers was frustrating

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number the lack of eligible candidates for the jury kept the trial from getting started

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in need
a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful the lack of fresh water at the campsite definitely would be a problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lack

2 of 2

verb

as in to hurt (for)

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lack
Noun
Even as asset managers use blockchain technology to turn fund shares into digital tokens, a lack of liquidity can mean investors must wait months to find a buyer. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 Research firm Gartner published a report on Wednesday forecasting that over 80% of neocloud providers will cease operations by 2030, due to costs and lack of a unique business model. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
The world does not lack intelligence, information, or ambition. — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 Increasing numbers of voters lack trust in elections and make their decisions to vote – or not – based on limited or flawed information. — Christopher Miller, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lack
  1. absence
  2. shortage
  3. need
  4. beg
  5. deficiency
  6. ask
  7. insist
  8. exact
Noun
  • The absence of an endorsement was a setback for the Likud politician, who had billed his tight ties to the Republican president as a selling point for staying in power.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But in the absence of any federal rules, cities and states have been flexing their authority in an effort to bring order to some of the chaos.
    — Andrew Hawkins, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of absence
Noun
  • Musk has repeatedly treated the sports car as a lower priority than Tesla’s other projects, while also blaming supply chain shortages for earlier delays.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The state prison system experiences chronic staffing shortages of corrections officers, nurses and physicians.
    — Jaquelyn Jahn, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of shortage
Noun
  • The film explores the contradictions of a Bulgarian town pulled into Europe’s shifting geopolitical order, where arms production for Ukraine’s frontlines collides with enduring ties to Russia, personal convictions, and the everyday need to survive.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The company recently introduced four-finger hands for Atlas, underscoring the need to design robotic hardware around practical requirements.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of need
Verb
  • Therein, a young woman sits on her dead lover’s grave for a year, begging to see him again.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • With Blauvelt's killer still on the loose, her family begged for answers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of beg
Noun
  • While it was designed to bring nationwide uniformity and stability to college athletics, its deficiencies are manifold.
    — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Commissioner John King's office previously said the March inspection found no violations, deficiencies or red tags.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of deficiency
Verb
  • The defendants have asked Judge Amanda Brailsford to dismiss the lawsuit.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Those of us committed to public education should be asking whether public school families know these resources may be available to them.
    — Raymond C. Pierce, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of ask
Verb
  • While officials insist the demolitions are a non-negotiable step toward revitalizing the corridor along Old National Highway, the families and owners left in the wake of the bulldozers say true recovery remains a distant promise.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There is a distinction, of course, between insisting on witnesses and staging a spectacle.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of insist
Verb
  • Charles Jencks, the late American cultural theorist and a famously exacting critic, saw in its flowing forms both sensuality and an important new direction for architecture.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • That part involves the Twins’ sneaky plot the next day to exact their revenge by sending a worker up to retrieve the ball.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of exact

Browse Nearby Words

lacings
lack
lackadaisical
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Cite this Entry

“Lack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lack. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lack

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lack

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