1
as in to require
to have as a requirement
a national crisis that needs a strong leader to solve it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lack
a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful
when it came time to wrap the presents, he found he was in need of adhesive tape
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in must
something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable
got a job that barely provided for his basic needs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obligation
something one must do because of prior agreement
no need to apologize
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in poverty
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
donating money to help those in need
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of need
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Feb. 2026
An additional three to four million homes need to be built to close the gap, according to an October estimate from Goldman Sachs.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Diana Olick, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2026
Key challenges include: Lack of available placements, especially for young people with complex behavioral health needs or high supervision needs.
—ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for need
Verb
These are expected to deliver all-electric driving ranges of roughly 113 miles and 126 miles, respectively, before the onboard range-extender engine is needed.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 8 Feb. 2026
An additional three to four million homes need to be built to close the gap, according to an October estimate from Goldman Sachs.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
The seemingly desperate need for data was also standout in 2025's top 50 deals.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2026
Key challenges include: Lack of available placements, especially for young people with complex behavioral health needs or high supervision needs.
—ABC News, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for need
Recent Examples of Synonyms for need
Verb
-
What does the law require of people who wish to become citizens of the United States and gain the right to vote?—
Cal Thomas,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Teddi Mellencamp reflected on her cancer journey one year after she was hospitalized and required emergency brain surgery.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The block party is free, but people who want to attend must RSVP.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There should be empathy for his injury, but no sympathy for his lack of production.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Other experts said the subject’s movement could illustrate a lack of urgency.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Among the demands are a requirement for judicial warrants, better identification of DHS officers, new use of force standards and a stop to racial profiling.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The amendment also cements that outside vendors contracted for requests for proposals should follow county procurement and ethics requirements.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But when a mysterious stranger begins blackmailing Neve, she is forced to compromise every legal, moral and ethical obligation to gain an acquittal — or else risk her dark secrets being exposed.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Earlier this month, Parisian officials conducted a search of facilities connected to Elon Musk’s X as part of an investigation into regulatory obligations.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Private schools, particularly Catholic schools, have demonstrated extraordinary success — even in communities struggling with poverty.—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In Detroit, where nearly half of children under 5 years old live below the poverty level, the launch marks the program's largest expansion.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Democrats want to see the administration lean more heavily on the use of judicial warrants, which require signoff by a judge, in certain situations.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Wall Street wants to see evidence that these enormous expenditures will result in actual profits.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That's according to a new WalletHub survey, which found that people living in some of the poorest states in the country spend the most on basic food necessities.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But for Arista, much of the diversification in its deployments is coming out of necessity.—
Kristina Partsinevelos,Ari Levy,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Need.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/need. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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