for lack of
idiom
: not having (the thing specified)
They called it a comet, for lack of a better term/word.
For lack of anything better to do, we went to the park.
Examples of for lack of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The ski area would open after Christmas, close for lack of snow, reopen when possible, and so on.
—
Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 20 May 2024
The charges against Martinez were dropped by a judge for lack of probable cause, court records say.
—Tony Saavedra, Orange County Register, 19 May 2024
These bars are third-party tested, meaning each batch of bars is tested for purity and potency, including testing for lack of heavy metals, microbes, and glyphosate (pesticide residue).
—Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 May 2024
That’s not for lack of machinery and protocols in development, however.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 15 May 2024
Although undeniably Nordic Noir, his crime novels are gentler, for lack of a better word, than many of his genre counterparts.
—Kristina Lindborg, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024
The unanimous vote to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with the developer, on a motion from Commissioner Danielle Moore, came after a similar motion by Naranjo died for lack of a second.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2024
Two or three students are assigned to a single locker for lack of space.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
Our jaws ached for lack of something tough to chew (some gum might have helped).
—Tom Hinman, Outdoor Life, 8 May 2024
Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 20 May 2024
The charges against Martinez were dropped by a judge for lack of probable cause, court records say.
—Tony Saavedra, Orange County Register, 19 May 2024
These bars are third-party tested, meaning each batch of bars is tested for purity and potency, including testing for lack of heavy metals, microbes, and glyphosate (pesticide residue).
—Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 May 2024
That’s not for lack of machinery and protocols in development, however.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 15 May 2024
Although undeniably Nordic Noir, his crime novels are gentler, for lack of a better word, than many of his genre counterparts.
—Kristina Lindborg, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2024
The unanimous vote to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with the developer, on a motion from Commissioner Danielle Moore, came after a similar motion by Naranjo died for lack of a second.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2024
Two or three students are assigned to a single locker for lack of space.
—Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2024
Our jaws ached for lack of something tough to chew (some gum might have helped).
—Tom Hinman, Outdoor Life, 8 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'for lack of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near for lack of
Cite this Entry
“For lack of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20lack%20of. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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