as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
an inadequate amount of food on hand for so many unexpected guests
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inadequate
Declaring the environmental report inadequate allows the developer to modify the report to address the concerns and possibly return with a new application, Burke said.
—
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Homer Glen has worked with the Illinois attorney general’s office on numerous concerns with residents’ billing, including unexplainably high water bills, meter errors and inadequate customer service.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Because her nutrition is inadequate, Kordia frequently experiences bouts of nausea and dizziness.
—Rachel Royster
january 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Jan. 2026
But the lack of transparency surrounding the platform has spurred senators to send a letter to the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services, raising questions about potential conflicts of interests, inappropriate prescribing, and inadequate care.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
Homer Glen has worked with the Illinois attorney general’s office on numerous concerns with residents’ billing, including unexplainably high water bills, meter errors and inadequate customer service.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
Because her nutrition is inadequate, Kordia frequently experiences bouts of nausea and dizziness.
—Rachel Royster
january 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Jan. 2026
But the lack of transparency surrounding the platform has spurred senators to send a letter to the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services, raising questions about potential conflicts of interests, inappropriate prescribing, and inadequate care.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inadequate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inadequate
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
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
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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
-
Although plants played a central role in subsistence for centuries, Neolithic communities heavily relied on human and animal figures, with scarce traces of plant visual representation, such as flowers, shrubs, and branches.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Feb. 2026
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For fans, that means tickets available at face value are scarce.—
Julian Torres,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Boxer Imane Khelif admitted to having the SRY gene, located on the Y chromosome, which is found in biological males, and undergoing hormone treatments to lower testosterone levels ahead of the 2024 Olympics in an interview with the French sports publication L'Equipe.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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The appeals court sent the case back to the lower court to amend the 2024 ruling.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inadequate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inadequate. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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