as in necessarily
because of necessity
the dangers of global warming must needs be recognized—and recognized soon—by the industrialized nations of the world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in requires
to have as a requirement
a national crisis that needs a strong leader to solve it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in requirements
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
got a job that barely provided for his basic needs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obligations
something one must do because of prior agreement
no need to apologize
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 needs
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
Every great travel wardrobe needs a reliable layer, which is why the Bond Tank by Lioness on Amazon is a no-brainer—especially for 50 percent off.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Greenland currently needs Denmark’s approval to sign deals.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Jan. 2026
What Asheville needs now are travelers to share the love.
—Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
Ryder selects a team of special agents based upon the problem that needs solving.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
To share data, Dexcom needs user consent.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Your change program needs to provide team members with continuing evidence that the changes are working and spreading.
—Phil Gilbert, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Protein is an essential part of your diet, but consuming more than your body needs can cause problems.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
And, though able to navigate a great deal of the daily routine, Anna has gaps that will widen as her parents’ needs become more demanding.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
In the home decor section, there are plenty of options to meet your storage needs.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026
Make sure to choose the best dimmer switch that matches your needs, type of room, and type of light bulbs.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
For those drawn to 75 Hard’s structure, experts suggest modifying the program to suit individual needs.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
The cautious quincunx between Venus and Jupiter today impacts your resource zone and your partnership arena, which means that your needs might not match up with those of your peers.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
Now legislators are looking to increase the use of modular homes, or those that are made in factories but assembled on site, to help alleviate the state’s housing needs.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Locals say buffets have adapted to meet the needs of a city that is constantly changing.
—Jessica Hill, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
Meanwhile, if a child or creative partner needs reassurance, your practical words can vanquish their anxieties and ensure any plans move forward without pressure.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Jan. 2026
Every great travel wardrobe needs a reliable layer, which is why the Bond Tank by Lioness on Amazon is a no-brainer—especially for 50 percent off.
—Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Greenland currently needs Denmark’s approval to sign deals.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 7 Jan. 2026
What Asheville needs now are travelers to share the love.
—Megan Rose Murray, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
Ryder selects a team of special agents based upon the problem that needs solving.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
To share data, Dexcom needs user consent.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Your change program needs to provide team members with continuing evidence that the changes are working and spreading.
—Phil Gilbert, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
Protein is an essential part of your diet, but consuming more than your body needs can cause problems.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Noun
The vehicles can also be built to be recoverable in support of ever-changing mission needs.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
And, though able to navigate a great deal of the daily routine, Anna has gaps that will widen as her parents’ needs become more demanding.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
In the home decor section, there are plenty of options to meet your storage needs.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2026
Make sure to choose the best dimmer switch that matches your needs, type of room, and type of light bulbs.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
For those drawn to 75 Hard’s structure, experts suggest modifying the program to suit individual needs.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
The cautious quincunx between Venus and Jupiter today impacts your resource zone and your partnership arena, which means that your needs might not match up with those of your peers.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
Now legislators are looking to increase the use of modular homes, or those that are made in factories but assembled on site, to help alleviate the state’s housing needs.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Locals say buffets have adapted to meet the needs of a city that is constantly changing.
—Jessica Hill, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needs
Adverb
-
Unless they are killed by federal agents, as Pretti and Renee Good were, other activists do not even necessarily know their names.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This week’s cinematic celebration is necessarily bittersweet.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The documents were disclosed under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted after months of public and political pressure that requires the government to open its files on the late financier and his confidante and onetime girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
This fast-growing, durable plant is a good choice to stabilize a bank and requires little maintenance.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The block party is free, but people who want to attend must RSVP.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Organizations should approach this evaluation with realistic expectations about the supervision requirements and plan for hybrid workflows where human operators correct and guide robotic systems through their initial learning phases.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Democratic state lawmakers want to allow Georgia cities to adopt sanctuary policies and eliminate requirements for local sheriffs to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.—
Lautaro Grinspan,
AJC.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These bond authorizations create obligations to repay borrowing for priorities as wide-ranging as health facilities, water infrastructure and wildfire prevention.—
Lanhee J. Chen,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
These financial obligations can even create pressure to dismiss fair settlement offers in search of larger returns for investors.—
Jaime Huff,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Public conversations about loneliness tend to collapse a distinction between feeling lonely and being socially isolated—the latter is an objective state that doesn’t inevitably mean a person feels the negative emotions of loneliness.—
Jenny Singer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Everything about the day went absolutely perfect, there was not a single thing that went wrong, and that was surreal too because in weddings usually something inevitably goes wrong.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Biological factors are also something the APA wants to incorporate better into the DSM.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Not everyone can afford or wants to pay for an expensive pair of noise-canceling headphones, especially if they only get used during air travel.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Palestinians in Gaza who spoke with the AP in recent weeks questioned whether the ceasefire's next steps will improve conditions, pointing to ongoing bloodshed and ongoing challenges in securing basic necessities.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Palestinians in Gaza who spoke to The Associated Press in recent weeks questioned whether moving into phase two of the ceasefire will improve conditions on the ground, pointing to ongoing bloodshed and challenges securing basic necessities.—
Julia Frankel,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needs. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
