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
There is something deeply, for lack of a better word, authentic about that.
—
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 June 2024
Federal judges not only dismissed the claims for lack of evidence, but some also penalized the attorneys who filed them.
—Elise J. Bean, The Conversation, 4 June 2024
The source of that donation remains unknown — and not for lack of effort.
—Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 4 June 2024
The maneuver, through a procedural move known as a discharge petition, is all but certain to fail for lack of Republican support, but that is by design.
—Annie Karni, New York Times, 4 June 2024
But many experts say rescheduling won't ease banking challenges for the cannabis industry, which has dealt almost exclusively in cash for lack of banking options.
—Rafi Schwartz, theweek, 9 May 2024
Facebook, notably, does not operate in China—but not for lack of trying.
—Ganesh Sitaraman, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2020
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
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 June 2024
Federal judges not only dismissed the claims for lack of evidence, but some also penalized the attorneys who filed them.
—Elise J. Bean, The Conversation, 4 June 2024
The source of that donation remains unknown — and not for lack of effort.
—Daniel Klaidman, CBS News, 4 June 2024
The maneuver, through a procedural move known as a discharge petition, is all but certain to fail for lack of Republican support, but that is by design.
—Annie Karni, New York Times, 4 June 2024
But many experts say rescheduling won't ease banking challenges for the cannabis industry, which has dealt almost exclusively in cash for lack of banking options.
—Rafi Schwartz, theweek, 9 May 2024
Facebook, notably, does not operate in China—but not for lack of trying.
—Ganesh Sitaraman, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2020
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 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 17 Jun. 2024.
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