LACKS Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

lacks 1 of 2

noun

plural of lack

as in shortages

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number the lack of eligible candidates for the jury kept the trial from getting started

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lacks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lack

as in insists

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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 lacks

Noun

The Anaheim Ducks, at least, had a lot of pace and tempo to help make up for what Carlson’s skating lacks at this point in his career. — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 2 July 2026 Nothing beats a big package or a pipe to compensate for decorations, makeup, and other lacks. — Joyce Mansour, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 Each provides amino acids that the other lacks, so eating them together gives you all the essential amino acids. — Merve Ceylan, Health, 22 June 2026 The artist thought that paintings and drawings have a certain depth that photography on its own lacks. — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026 What Hafley’s team lacks are proven, established names; productivity that can be relied on if healthy. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 7 June 2026 The Drive The turbo engine gives it the push the standard engine lacks, especially when merging, climbing grades or passing. — Josh Max, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 Ford’s freedom or constraints, his prejudices or lacks, gauge his moment and ours. — Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026 Industrial composting sites—big, regionalized facilities that can churn out large volumes of organic waste—are designed to speed up the composting process using heat, moisture, and carbon control, things that a simple countertop compost container lacks. — Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacks

Noun

However, any additional precipitation will not offset the long-term factors driving water shortages like prolonged drought conditions and historically low seasonal snowpack, according to experts.

— Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 July 2026
That’s not only because of the possibilities to work with customers on development or respond quickly to quality issues, but also in light of the pandemic-era chip shortages that roiled the auto industry.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 13 July 2026

Definition of shortages

Noun

People take iron orally or intravenously to address nutritional deficiencies, as Johnson did, and get monitored for stomach cancers.

— Sarah Todd, STAT, 8 July 2026
Sleep difficulties can sometimes be linked to underlying medical conditions, nutrient deficiencies, medications, or hormonal changes that require proper evaluation and treatment by a qualified healthcare professional.

— Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 July 2026

Definition of deficiencies

Verb

The Sandra Bland Act signed into law in 2017 requires that county jails help get inmates with mental health and substance abuse issues treatment, and help expedite the bailing process for those who meet these requirements.

— Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
The law requires only one member of the search committee to be a faculty member, but that doesn’t limit the board from engaging more faculty members in the process to get a wider array of feedback.

— Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 14 July 2026

Definition of requires

Verb

Videos posted on Facebook and X show the street preachers speaking with police officers when one of the preachers asks if someone can be cited for misgendering a transgender person.

— Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Placing a special focus on R&B and new music discovery, Grice often weaves games into his variety show; a particularly viral bit asks guests to sing in a game of word association.

— Rachel Brodsky, Time, 14 July 2026

Definition of asks

Verb

Ali then exacts his revenge, pumping several rounds into Alamo's chest as the antagonistic figure falls for good.

— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
Shrinking lake ice exacts its price Depending on how much greenhouse gases warm the planet in the coming years, the average lake could lose up to 10 to 28 days of ice cover by the end of the century, says Sapna Sharma, a global change biologist at York University in Canada.

— Berly McCoy, NPR, 2 Mar. 2026

Definition of exacts

Verb

Graham died Saturday at the age of 71, and a medical examiner's preliminary findings suggested the cause was aortic dissection, which involves a tear in the main artery from the heart.

— Major Garrett, CBS News, 13 July 2026
For reference, multiplying a pair of thousand-digit numbers involves a million single-digit multiplications using the grade-school method but fewer than 57,000 using Karatsuba’s algorithm.

— Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 13 July 2026

Definition of involves

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lackluster

lacks

laconic

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“Lacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacks. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of lacks

noun

verb

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