How to Use need in a Sentence

need

1 of 2 noun
  • There is a great need for change.
  • You can always call me at home if the need arises.
  • I felt a need to take control of the situation.
  • I don't feel the need to defend my decision.
  • We find that there is still a need for further discussion.
  • Our experienced staff will go out of their way to meet your every need.
  • She has an overwhelming need to be liked and respected.
  • These new methods reduce the need to use harmful chemicals on crops.
  • He has trouble expressing his emotional needs.
  • The teams are conscious of the need to make swift progress.
    Ian Wishart, Bloomberg.com, 5 July 2020
  • The coupe is not held back by a need to share parts with the sedan.
    Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 20 June 2023
  • Most of the time, the coats are given to people in need.
    Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2020
  • The people feeling the need would be the best ones to answer it.
    Kathleen Hou, The Cut, 17 Oct. 2017
  • The trouble is the theater is for sale and in need of repairs.
    Tanya Wildt, Detroit Free Press, 18 Nov. 2021
  • Class is free and there is no need to sign up, just drop in.
    Courant Community, 3 Apr. 2018
  • So did the defense — no need to count the wild play that got called back.
    Tom Canavan, Star Tribune, 31 Oct. 2020
  • There was a need for a pumper engine able to fight fires at new heights.
    Jonece Starr Dunigan, AL.com, 6 July 2017
  • And as your body changes, so do your desires and needs.
    Ashley Cobb, Essence, 20 June 2023
  • But enough workers have come back to meet the need, the mayor said.
    Serhii Korolchuk, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2023
  • West and central African troops have flagged the need for more help.
    Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2022
  • Large-scale events are back, and so is the need for gala dresses.
    Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2022
  • How has that shaped your view on the needs of working parents?
    Vanessa Fuhrmans, WSJ, 13 Feb. 2019
  • Give your extra clothing and home goods to those in need.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 21 Dec. 2022
  • Boise City is sadly in need of a church bell of some kind.
    Arthur Hart, idahostatesman, 21 Oct. 2017
  • The filter is washable, so there is no need to run off to the store to get a new one.
    Sanah Faroke, PEOPLE.com, 22 Aug. 2021
  • As the weather gets warmer, my skin and hair are in need of more moisture.
    Jessica Cruel, Allure, 1 Apr. 2020
  • John has tried always to help people in need of his help.
    Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, azcentral, 13 July 2018
  • Social media was both a hardship and a help in her time of need.
    Susan Scutti, CNN, 20 Dec. 2017
  • Coach a team in need, and let someone else call an offense in a rut.
    Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, 29 Nov. 2021
  • Scoring from the blue line is going to be a big need for next season.
    Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 8 May 2021
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need

2 of 2 verb
  • I just need a couple of minutes to get ready.
  • I need some advice. What do you think of this dress?
  • Further research is urgently needed if we are to find a cure.
  • We badly need a vacation.
  • Another delay is the last thing I need!
  • Most babies need at least 12 hours of sleep a day.
  • Men? Who needs them?! I certainly don't.
  • What the pupil needs to learn is the dialect of a tribe.
    Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 13 July 2018
  • But the Dodgers may not need to get hung up on specifics.
    Andy McCullough, latimes.com, 15 June 2019
  • But the more profound change may need to come in our own lives.
    David Scharfenberg, BostonGlobe.com, 13 July 2018
  • Either not as much or at all to the one that doesn't need it.
    Jr Gondeck and Vanessa Martinez, Forbes, 20 May 2021
  • On defense there are a few holes that need to be filled.
    cleveland, 31 Jan. 2021
  • Chandler didn’t need to tell me the names of the people who were lost.
    Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 11 Dec. 2022
  • Who says your prom sneakers need to be all glitz and glammed?
    Briannah Rivera, Seventeen, 2 Feb. 2023
  • There are still elements of the law that will need to be ironed out.
    Suyin Haynes, Time, 25 July 2019
  • The spheroids will need to be drained, cleaned and inspected.
    David Sheppard, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2019
  • Instead, the idea is that healthy habits don't need to be huge.
    Hannah Coates, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2024
  • In comedy, a lot of the best bits need to have that sort of premise up front.
    David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2021
  • Kids need to get back in school, not just back to online school.
    Kyle Smith, National Review, 21 Aug. 2020
  • Follow these pointers if your kids will need to log in from the road.
    Julie Jargon, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2020
  • All the things needed to be a good defensive mid in this league.
    Jordan Culver, Pro Soccer USA, 12 July 2018
  • The choice of paint color needs to be just as versatile.
    Kelsey Mulvey, ELLE Decor, 6 Apr. 2023
  • On a budget, ready to splurge or just need someplace new?
    Jacob Siegal, BGR, 13 June 2021
  • Many of the specific details still need to be ironed out.
    Paul Leblanc, CNN, 14 June 2021
  • This man needs to get off his butt (and off his phone) and help with his own kids!
    Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2023
  • Crabs need to be at least 5 ¾ inches wide at the widest part of the shell.
    Momo Chang, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2021
  • Apple explains that users may need to scroll to find the button.
    Liam Gravvat, USA TODAY, 7 July 2022
  • All of us – not just children – need a good book on our beds.
    Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 22 Dec. 2020
  • They are seasoned enough to know that tough choices might need to be made.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 July 2022
  • No proof of purchase is needed to file a claim, and a form can be filed here.
    Eden Villalovas, Washington Examiner, 14 Nov. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'need.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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