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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Tasked with shepherding his major stars through bombastic performances, Fern’s directing lacks focus. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026 While Verse and Alex Wright will man the edges and Denzel Ward remains an elite anchor in the secondary, the front seven lacks proven game-disrupting star power, leaving the defense reliant on scheme and discipline to hold up. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Long used in commercial kitchens for sinks and countertops, steel sinks contain chromium that provides corrosion-resistance and nickel that adds the brightness pure steel lacks. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 July 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacks

Noun

The current economic shenanigans, from tariffs to RAM shortages, have led console manufacturers to raise prices over time rather than lower them, as was the norm.

— Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
Further, unusually warm Pacific Ocean temperatures are expected to bring erratic rainfall and water shortages across Thailand.

— Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of shortages

Verb

Quantum mechanics, though, insists that every object is also a wave.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
The College Football Playoff opened discussions with ESPN over a 24-team format but insists the talks are purely exploratory, in case the playoff expands.

— Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of insists

Noun

Decades of research link right brain activity to moral judgment and its inactivity to deficiencies, even to the point of sociopathy.

— Michael P.H. Stanley, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026
Thompson can mask about as many defensive deficiencies as anyone not named Victor Wembanyama.

— Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of deficiencies

Verb

In order to create the experience, the outlet will focus on the famous Red and Blue kitchens, show experiences, and a prominent bar that begs you to join us for a drink.

— Carly Sauvageau, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
The film ends with Sally and Gary happily in love, which begs a question that’s been gestating for 28 years — doesn’t that slap him with a death sentence?

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of begs

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

Top grading involves removing a leader who has grown complacent and is no longer the right match for the job and replacing them with someone who is better equipped for the new challenges in the role.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, with a landscape of rugged beaches and peat bogs, and traveling through it usually involves many small logistics.

— Hayley Domin, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of involves

Browse Nearby Words

lackluster

lacks

laconic

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“Lacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacks. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of lacks

noun

verb

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