wanted 1 of 2

adjective

as in liked

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wanted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of want
1
as in craved
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy I want a new car so badly!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in needed
to have as a requirement that stray cat wants food and a clean place to sleep

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wished
to see fit do what you want

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in enjoyed
to wish to have I want some ice cream for dessert, please

Synonyms & Similar 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 wanted
Adjective
After cops released a wanted poster Wednesday calling Carrasco armed and dangerous and asked the public’s help locating him, an acquaintance turned up at the 49th Precinct stationhouse, police sources said. — Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 Families can deeply love a wanted child and still make different decisions about how to proceed. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026 The district attorney's office said 63-year-old Gino Ferrari's pit bull attacked K-9 Diesel while Jeannette police were helping the FBI with a search warrant on a wanted person on Adams Avenue in July. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 Heading into the past three summer transfer windows, Trafford topped Newcastle’s goalkeeper wanted list. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Marshal Henry Tillman, and Freeman is a wanted outlaw named Joseph Mulberry. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026 The cameras photograph every passing vehicle, allowing law enforcement to track a wanted vehicle across the city. — Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 31 Aug. 2026 Owning a stake in a profitable, growing business that provides a wanted product or service over the long term is preferable to owning paper currency, which is destined to lose purchasing power over time. — Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, Providence Journal reporters took readers inside a 20-year-hunt for one of the state’s most wanted fugitives – finally arrested at sea. — Greg Borowski, jsonline.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Verb
Hernández said the group wanted to use the platform to bring further awareness to the struggles immigrants continue to face in this country with an audience that notably skews more American than Los Tigres is accustomed to. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Favreau wanted the vehicle bouncy, but not too fast or implausibly smooth. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 These women wanted some recourse over the loss of their reproductive plans. — Kim Jackson, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 What’s unleashed is Edward Hyde, a violent alter ego who threatens what the scientist wanted to prove wrong about those with mental illness. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 The man was on searchable probation in Shasta County and was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant, the Woodland Police Department said in a Facebook post announcing the arrest. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026 For watches, jewelry, handbags, and sneakers, 20% or fewer Gen Z collectors wanted recognition even within specialist collector communities. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026 After her Super Bowl triumph, Whitney, fired up and fearless, wanted to perform for the troops in the Middle East. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 Those who wanted to participate were instructed to register online and provide their health insurance information and were told all fees would be covered, the indictment said. — Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wanted
  1. preferred
  2. craved
  3. needed
  4. wished
  5. liked
  6. desirable
  7. desired
  8. required
Adjective
  • An Ipsos poll out Friday finds that a majority, or about 51% of the population, say chocolate is their preferred Halloween candy of choice.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Poland never underestimated Russia threat watch now Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of preferred
Verb
  • While my mother craved some small-stakes adventure, my father was set in his ways, his patterns, his routine.
    — Kyle MacLachlan, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
  • But even when George was kissing off the pop audience, people craved more and more of him.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of craved
Verb
  • Others are skeptical the task force can accomplish much in such a short time period, arguing that eventually sweeping new legislation will be needed to regulate AI.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Items such as the coffee pots, dispensing nozzles for cappuccino and frazil machines must be washed and sanitized as needed.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of needed
Verb
  • Being a cordial person, Larry wished his new boss a pleasant evening.
    — Blake J. Harris, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • And everyone in that crowd wished Busch, himself, could look back.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of wished
Verb
  • Terry Kay liked to tell the story of how he was coerced into writing his first novel by Pat Conroy, who told his literary agent Kay had written a brilliant manuscript.
    — Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • And while the bye comes a bit earlier than many would’ve liked, the Dolphins are 0-5.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of liked
Adjective
  • The products have to remain desirable enough that customers are willing to pay up at a time when AI is squeezing margins across much of the software sector.
    — CJ Haddad, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Increasingly, however, marinas are becoming desirable destinations unto themselves.
    — Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of desirable
Verb
  • If desired, Meyer lemons can also be pruned in late winter to early spring to refine their shrubby look into a more tree-like appearance.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026
  • When Harris desired a specific ring, her sister passed the direct link to her husband, who purchased it immediately.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of desired
Verb
  • The company identifies Time-to-Skill—the time required to teach a robot a task and achieve reliable execution—as a key measure of progress.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Eight finalists will compete in a series of challenges inspired by the skills required to make each and every order.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of required

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

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

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