How to Use need in a Sentence

need

1 of 2 noun
  • There is a great need for change.
  • You can always call me at home if the need arises.
  • I felt a need to take control of the situation.
  • I don't feel the need to defend my decision.
  • We find that there is still a need for further discussion.
  • Our experienced staff will go out of their way to meet your every need.
  • She has an overwhelming need to be liked and respected.
  • These new methods reduce the need to use harmful chemicals on crops.
  • He has trouble expressing his emotional needs.
  • Acreage needs could have spared most homes.
    — CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
  • As time goes on, needs tend to change.
    — Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • There’s no need to add more garbage to the world.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 23 Apr. 2026
  • But the Chiefs do have more than one need.
    — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2026
  • There is a brewing need right now.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Agree on a plan that respects home needs.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The coupe is not held back by a need to share parts with the sedan.
    — Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 20 June 2023
  • Still on the hunt for a pair of loafers that meet all of your needs?
    — Rebecca Shinners, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2025
  • List your values, wants and needs.
    — Olivia Munson, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
  • But as data needs have grown, so too have the bills.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • And what did his mother pack that will fill all his needs?
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
  • That’s why deep, carpet clean is what your home needs.
    — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Yet our health care system has not kept pace with our needs.
    — Teanika D. Hoffman, Baltimore Sun, 21 Mar. 2026
  • The lower the score, the greater the need for a tree canopy.
    — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Large-scale events are back, and so is the need for gala dresses.
    — Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2022
  • That 10-year-old needs love and so do all the rest like her.
    — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The Falcons have needs at all three.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 28 Feb. 2026
  • There was a need for a pumper engine able to fight fires at new heights.
    — Jonece Starr Dunigan, AL.com, 6 July 2017
  • Chuck Schumer has -- needs cover right now.
    — ABC News, 19 Oct. 2025
  • So did the defense — no need to count the wild play that got called back.
    — Tom Canavan, Star Tribune, 31 Oct. 2020
  • Joy is one of the most basic human needs.
    — Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025

need

2 of 2 verb
  • I just need a couple of minutes to get ready.
  • I need some advice. What do you think of this dress?
  • Further research is urgently needed if we are to find a cure.
  • We badly need a vacation.
  • Another delay is the last thing I need!
  • Most babies need at least 12 hours of sleep a day.
  • Men? Who needs them?! I certainly don't.
  • These bucks need to wait in line.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Teams need time to adopt new tools.
    — Lior Weinstein, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
  • This man doesn’t need to show up.
    — Essence, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Not that this place didn’t need it.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
  • Not much more that needs to be said.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The plants need warm soil to grow roots.
    — Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
  • No, a girl needs that for brain fog.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026
  • This team doesn’t need to copy last year’s.
    — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Check out these five need-to-know facts about snow.
    — Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Most of us need no such reminder.
    — Naveen Kumar, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Most men need seven to nine hours.
    — Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The franchise needs to nail it all.
    — Tony East, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Second, the air needs to be cold.
    — Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Then list what needs power in that zone.
    — Alena Conley, USA Today, 6 May 2026
  • The franchise needs to blown up again.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Feb. 2026
  • But Cao’s new code still needs a lot of work.
    — Quanta Magazine, 3 June 2026
  • Pets need more than food bowls and cameras.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Taste broth and add more soy sauce if needed.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 May 2026
  • But like any lens, justice needs care.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • First, those satellites need to get to space.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Democrats needed to take some risks.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
  • But savers will need to know their limits, too.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 27 May 2026
  • If the soil feels dry, the plant needs water.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 24 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'need.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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