as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
there's been an insufficient number of volunteers for the job, so I'll have to select someone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insufficient
Nearly two-thirds of Americans have insufficient levels, and women are among the highest-risk groups.
—
Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
Report called for expansion, new facilities Together, the two River Street lots are considerably larger than the district’s 86,000-square-foot Boise Centre event space, which a consultant study released last fall found insufficient to meet demand for conventions in Idaho’s capital.
—Mark Dee
april 29, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
Yet, more than 3 in 4 improper payments resulted from insufficient documentation, which usually doesn’t indicate fraud or abuse.
—Alison Barkoff, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
Shortly after the Iran war began, there were several weak Treasury auctions in which bonds cleared at higher-than-expected yields or drew insufficient buyer demand.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insufficient
Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
Report called for expansion, new facilities Together, the two River Street lots are considerably larger than the district’s 86,000-square-foot Boise Centre event space, which a consultant study released last fall found insufficient to meet demand for conventions in Idaho’s capital.
—Mark Dee
april 29, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
Yet, more than 3 in 4 improper payments resulted from insufficient documentation, which usually doesn’t indicate fraud or abuse.
—Alison Barkoff, The Conversation, 29 Apr. 2026
Shortly after the Iran war began, there were several weak Treasury auctions in which bonds cleared at higher-than-expected yields or drew insufficient buyer demand.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insufficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insufficient
Adjective
-
The detainees—from Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Myanmar and eight other nations—were found in restricted compounds, some lacking passports or proper immigration documentation.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
If your yard is a bit lacking in colorful birds, adding a feeder can help attract all sorts of them.—
Brittany VanDerBill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Current funding levels are inadequate and prevent the critical expansion needed to close that child care gap.—
Pamela Campos,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The father of a Deer Path Middle School student said his sixth-grade son was attacked by other students earlier this month and is criticizing Lake Forest District 67’s initial response as inadequate.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
During that time, Cubans lost an average of 5% to 25% of their body weight, according to one study published in a medical journal, with goods including bread, milk, eggs and chicken in scarce quantities.—
Danica Coto,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
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Think space-saving packing solutions, genius tech that keeps your devices alive when outlets are scarce, and comfort items that make economy feel a little more bearable.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
The group, originally signed to RCA Records, released two albums of bustling synth pop and opened for Harry Styles in the late twenty-tens but was cast off in the early days of the pandemic owing to low sales.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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Senators Chris Murphy and Ruben Gallego have spoken publicly about wanting to pursue this, and Bedoya notes that there’s precedent for this action, citing Democrats’ recent introduction of a bill to break up the meatpacking industry to create lower prices for consumers.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insufficient. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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