as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
there's been an insufficient number of volunteers for the job, so I'll have to select someone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insufficient
The Food and Drug Administration has released documents raising concerns about insufficient evidence for a batch of peptides that are set to be considered by an FDA panel soon.
—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
1 July 2026
For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters, and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs.
—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
Along with a loss of autonomy, more traffic, and insufficient office space, many are pointing to gas prices and childcare costs as significant pain points.
—
Anne Ewbank,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2026
And as frustrations grow over what locals describe as a slow and insufficient official response, ordinary citizens have stepped in to fill the gaps in rescue, relief, and recovery.
—
Tibisay Zea,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for insufficient
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
1 July 2026
For the safety of myself, his brothers and sisters, and for his own well-being, he was placed in a facility following years of outpatient treatment which proved insufficient for his needs.
—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
1 July 2026
Along with a loss of autonomy, more traffic, and insufficient office space, many are pointing to gas prices and childcare costs as significant pain points.
—
Anne Ewbank,
Sacbee.com,
1 July 2026
And as frustrations grow over what locals describe as a slow and insufficient official response, ordinary citizens have stepped in to fill the gaps in rescue, relief, and recovery.
—
Tibisay Zea,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for insufficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insufficient
Adjective
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Shuffling the opposition across to make space for a switch to the far side is a viable method of attack, but that can then come at the cost of a central box presence, with Portugal lacking runners beyond the ball.
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There is something to be found in both this character and the actress who plays her, but Alcock’s Kara did not have a chance to shine here in a lacking feature, and deserved better.
Adjective
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The complaint alleges that the conduct contributed to two patient deaths linked to inadequate care.
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Frustration has mounted over what many Venezuelans saw as an inadequate government response, with soldiers, firefighters, police and emergency services struggling to respond to the scale of the disaster.
Adjective
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Rats are burrowing into aid parcels, forcing people to throw away scarce rice or flour supplies.
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Managing scarcity through digital modeling While deuterium is highly abundant and easily extracted from standard seawater, tritium is exceedingly scarce in nature.
Adjective
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Those groups also have lower access to drugs that can stop the transmission of HIV.
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Last winter was the second-warmest on record, according to the city’s ordinance, with record low snowpack almost everywhere.
Cite this Entry
“Insufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insufficient. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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