special-needs

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 special-needs The North Texas couple accused of burying their special-needs son in the backyard of their Burleson home told police the 26-year-old had died a few days before at a local hospital, officials said. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2025 Primary beneficiary of proceeds for the rest of the festival is The Allen School, which supports special-needs children up to age 5 and prepares them and their parents for kindergarten. Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2025 But the cameo was an even bigger surprise for folks 300 miles away at Equestrian Connection, a special-needs therapy organization that had booked the War and Treaty for an Illinois benefit event that same night. Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 30 Sep. 2025 But a medical emergency later left Bains with a new paraeducator who was a special-needs adult himself. IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025 Luca received daily home visits from a speech therapist as a toddler and was enrolled in a special-needs preschool where this continued. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025 About two-thirds of respondents say the district is doing a good job of serving special-needs students and those still learning English. Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for special-needs
Adjective
  • Weekly Newsletter Audiences were asked to consider that the display of human difference was dehumanizing or even exploitative but also to understand that the sideshow represented a locus of community and a way for disabled performers to make an independent living.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
  • And Marissa Bode, who plays Elphaba’s disabled sister Nessarose, confirms her character’s origin story will differ from the stage version.
    Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And Lloyd brings a stiff upper lip that melts away to secret tenderness and fear to Celeste, who is not only navigating the realities of being the only Black woman in the group, but also returning home to take care of her ailing mother.
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
  • But despite the weakened state, Melissa hammered Cuba, which has an ailing power grid and is still recovering from years of back-to-back storm hits.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This means astronauts will have to diagnose, treat, and manage crises without ground support, even if a crew member becomes incapacitated.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Cheryl Harris Gates, 43, of Charlotte, is also charged with contaminating food or drink to render one mentally incapacitated or physically helpless; stalking; and damage to property.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Banks’ strained attempts to put Sarah on Zoë’s level leave Wilson stranded in a character unfit for the driver’s seat.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
  • However, if temperatures fluctuate unpredictably, going below or above the average, all the low-var animals will be unfit and unable to pass on their genes.
    Shraddha Lall, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Sharod Knox has lived this way since a 2002 shooting left him quadriplegic and dependent on a ventilator.
    Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Here’s one his many Se7en knockoffs, this one based on a series of novels about a quadriplegic cop, played by Washington, who teams with a rookie cop (Angelina Jolie) to take down a serial killer.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • At just 5 weeks old and weighing just over 4 pounds, Lilly was lethargic, withdrawn and appeared seriously unwell.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Raducanu, who has been feeling unwell for the past week, and had to retire ill from her match against Ann Li at the Wuhan Open last Tuesday.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The same survey found that one resident, who was paraplegic, was left alone all night while calling out for help.
    Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The longer the shutdown lasts, the greater the risk of cargo backups at these Texas ports due to unpaid employees calling in sick.
    The NPR Network, NPR, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Officials advise against consuming meat from deer that appear sick or test positive for the disease.
    Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Special-needs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/special-needs. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!