1
as in insufficient
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
we felt the afternoon television offerings were somewhat lacking in entertainment value
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absent
not present or in evidence
for the moment anyway, wood for the fireplace is lacking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lacking
Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, that correspondence is wholly lacking.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Someone who speaks too directly is described as intense or lacking polish.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Nothing undermines success like a lack of stability, and of course, a lacking quarterback.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 9 Jan. 2026
These are all signs of a lacking musclespan, whereas not noticing any difficulties in everyday tasks suggests a stronger trajectory.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Dec. 2025
Instead, safety measures, staffing and medical training were all lacking.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
But Wild coach John Hynes noted in training camp that Jiricek’s decision making in the heat of the battle in the defensive zone is sometimes lacking.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2025
With a severly lacking ability to go for big plays on both offense and defense, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms belives the Bills will not be able to compete in the AFC in 2025.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Vučević is also a good defensive rebounder, an area in which the Celtics are greatly lacking.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, that correspondence is wholly lacking.
—Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
Someone who speaks too directly is described as intense or lacking polish.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Nothing undermines success like a lack of stability, and of course, a lacking quarterback.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 9 Jan. 2026
These are all signs of a lacking musclespan, whereas not noticing any difficulties in everyday tasks suggests a stronger trajectory.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Dec. 2025
Instead, safety measures, staffing and medical training were all lacking.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
But Wild coach John Hynes noted in training camp that Jiricek’s decision making in the heat of the battle in the defensive zone is sometimes lacking.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2025
With a severly lacking ability to go for big plays on both offense and defense, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms belives the Bills will not be able to compete in the AFC in 2025.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacking
Adjective
-
Restoring the endangerment finding would be one step for new leadership to take, but simply bringing back the old regime of climate regulation would be insufficient to the size of the challenge now at hand.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The defense’s own expert has since rebutted the forensics, arguing the methodology is flawed and insufficient to attribute the sites to anyone.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some stars receiving accolades were notably absent (Ackie and Cooper included), but the blue carpet was still a sight to behold.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
-
That restraint is precisely what feels absent in much of today’s discourse, where criticism of state action is often conflated with hatred of a people, and where historical trauma is sometimes used to silence moral questions rather than deepen them.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The current crop, by contrast, has been begging visitors to crawl back into the light.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Are dinner reservations more scarce and more expensive?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Details are scarce as to what prompted the officer to fire.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Roughly ten hours passed before Guthrie was reported missing, more than enough time to drive, say, to the border.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Ring has ended its partnership with Flock, a tech surveillance company that works with police, days after Ring's Super Bowl ad boasting a feature to help find missing dogs sparked controversy.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Federal regulators are shutting down more than 550 commercial driving schools nationwide after finding unqualified instructors, inadequate testing and other safety failures.—
Josh Funk,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
In Texas, builders and contractors can be unlicensed, and Klepac has assisted clients who have needed remedial work due to inadequate construction design.—
Jessica Elliott,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Now the place has once again returned to the market, this time asking the same exact price.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
18 Feb. 2026
-
To encourage more housing, Pritzker is asking lawmakers to limit local governments’ authority over certain residential zoning areas so that multi-family and other structures can be built.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
All that is gone, even more so as Premier League matches are being switched to Mondays and Fridays, when demand for everything is lower.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacking. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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