1
as in craves
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy
I want a new car so badly!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in needs
to have as a requirement
that stray cat wants food and a clean place to sleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wishes
to see fit
do what you want
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in likes
to wish to have
I want some ice cream for dessert, please
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in lacks
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there's a notable want of teachers in that rural school district
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weaknesses
a defect in character
she's well-meaning and kind, but her besetting want is a complete lack of tact
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wants
Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
According to court documents, the Marathon County Sheriff's Office notifies ICE of every person booked into the jail who was not born in the United States, and asks if the agency wants a detainer.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
Buzz Hays wants to make sure his colleagues in Hollywood understand the pros and cons of generative AI, in particular, fine-tuning models.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
The producer and reality star wants to raise awareness that older dogs are often overlooked when adopting.
—Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Nobody wants to be involved in an accident that is caused by air traffic controller shortages.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Nov. 2025
And, the more people who participate in an election, the more representative the results of that election are of what a county wants.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
At this point, either the Dolphins aren’t an attractive job, nobody wants to work for Ross, or the fact a coach or executive can’t come in and start fresh is a major turnoff.
—Omar Kelly
october 31, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Jason Phillips, AZCentral.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Themes of beauty and harmony are top of mind, and your home is mirroring your wants and needs.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
This means 50 percent of money goes toward needs (such as bills, housing, groceries); 30 percent toward wants (subscriptions, social life and vacations); and 20 percent toward savings.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Records obtained by the Journal Sentinel show the two sides still appear far apart in their wants, according to contract offers submitted to a state arbitrator.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Peacock and Benzing emphasized the study will fully take into account the wants and expectations of the region's local governments, its residents and other stakeholders.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2025
Of course, regardless of when or whether these reforms happen, America also needs more of our current leaders to have the courage to focus on the needs of most voters rather than the wants of their political bases.
—Andrew Tisch, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The acquisitions market remains in a funk as streamers ratchet down their wants, and motion picture distributors evaluate whether the investment in a movie justifies their energy.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2025
Being more compassionate and respectful to the needs of your squad and family, instead of just asserting your wants, adds a new dimension to your connection with them.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Everybody wants to have a play and that’s a positive thing.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
According to court documents, the Marathon County Sheriff's Office notifies ICE of every person booked into the jail who was not born in the United States, and asks if the agency wants a detainer.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025
The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Nov. 2025
Buzz Hays wants to make sure his colleagues in Hollywood understand the pros and cons of generative AI, in particular, fine-tuning models.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
The producer and reality star wants to raise awareness that older dogs are often overlooked when adopting.
—Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Nobody wants to be involved in an accident that is caused by air traffic controller shortages.
—Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Nov. 2025
And, the more people who participate in an election, the more representative the results of that election are of what a county wants.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
At this point, either the Dolphins aren’t an attractive job, nobody wants to work for Ross, or the fact a coach or executive can’t come in and start fresh is a major turnoff.
—Omar Kelly
october 31, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
There are many platforms to choose from, depending on the needs and specific wants of each organization.
—Jason Phillips, AZCentral.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Themes of beauty and harmony are top of mind, and your home is mirroring your wants and needs.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
This means 50 percent of money goes toward needs (such as bills, housing, groceries); 30 percent toward wants (subscriptions, social life and vacations); and 20 percent toward savings.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Records obtained by the Journal Sentinel show the two sides still appear far apart in their wants, according to contract offers submitted to a state arbitrator.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Peacock and Benzing emphasized the study will fully take into account the wants and expectations of the region's local governments, its residents and other stakeholders.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2025
Of course, regardless of when or whether these reforms happen, America also needs more of our current leaders to have the courage to focus on the needs of most voters rather than the wants of their political bases.
—Andrew Tisch, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The acquisitions market remains in a funk as streamers ratchet down their wants, and motion picture distributors evaluate whether the investment in a movie justifies their energy.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2025
Being more compassionate and respectful to the needs of your squad and family, instead of just asserting your wants, adds a new dimension to your connection with them.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wants
Verb
-
Sacramento State’s 6-foot-11, 270-pound senior craves the opportunity to devour defenders in the lane with post moves, or a pass to an open shooter after a double-team, or to thunder-dunk on the run as one regal finisher.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The heart craves what feels like home, Leo.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Your change program needs to provide team members with continuing evidence that the changes are working and spreading.—
Phil Gilbert,
Fortune,
12 Nov. 2025
-
And look, no one needs a fancy beverage fridge.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In that scenario, the school doesn’t claim the coach engaged in any wrongdoing but instead simply wishes to replace the coach.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Thank you for all of the birthday wishes.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Everyone seems to care about Cindy a lot and really likes her.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Helping to prevent extreme heat damage, this is a great hair tool for someone who likes to experiment with different looks, or something who needs to streamline their haircare routine with more efficiency and consistency.—
Tim Chan,
Footwear News,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
So Vegas has to hope that their forward depth is strong enough to balance out where their star power lacks, relative to other contenders.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
This absence — of God, of love, of plain community spirit — is a metaphor for the whole parish, where everyone is defined by their own lacks and deficiencies, the weaknesses that cause Wicks to despise them and vow to bring down them all.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Majumdar’s psychological precision is what makes the novel’s geopolitical weaknesses feel so pronounced.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
-
At the time, many companies were launching AI tools like chatbots and internal agents at a remarkable pace, but security safeguards struggled to keep up, which would allow malicious actors to spot weaknesses with methods that cybersecurity tools were never built to detect.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
For now, the Royals have quality starting depth that every team desires.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Give whoever replaces Grier carte blanche, complete freedom, a blank slate, to do whatever the person desires with the organization.—
Omar Kelly
October 31,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The offer is available for dine-in only, and requires a valid ID.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Black walnuts have an extremely hard shell that requires special tools or a heavy hammer to crack.—
Randy Moll,
Arkansas Online,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wants. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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