as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there's a famine of good general practitioners in many rural areas
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Recent Examples of famine
Those who remain in El Fasher, the people who survived the killing sprees, are now also facing a malnutrition crisis, as famine has been reported in the Sudanese cities of El Fasher and Kadugli.
—
Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Two regions of Sudan are enduring a famine that’s at risk of spreading, according to the United Nations.
—Abigail Williams, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
Starvation can occur long before famine is declared Because all three thresholds must be met to trigger a famine designation, many people may be starving well before phase five is reached.
—Nurith Aizenman, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
David Lawrence Jr, who is also the former publisher of the Miami Herald, spoke of how his own mother’s ancestors arrived in 1620 and how his father’s family had left Ireland during the potato famine during the 19th century.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Callum Sutherland, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Two regions of Sudan are enduring a famine that’s at risk of spreading, according to the United Nations.
—Abigail Williams, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025
Starvation can occur long before famine is declared Because all three thresholds must be met to trigger a famine designation, many people may be starving well before phase five is reached.
—Nurith Aizenman, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
David Lawrence Jr, who is also the former publisher of the Miami Herald, spoke of how his own mother’s ancestors arrived in 1620 and how his father’s family had left Ireland during the potato famine during the 19th century.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
-
When staffing shortages occur, the FAA will reduce the flow of air traffic to maintain safety.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Flights are being delayed and cancelled across the country because of airport staffing shortages.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Despite his lack of coaching experience at the MLB level, Vitello was named manager of the San Francisco Giants last month.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Part of the reason why there are so few of these conversations about podcasting is a general lack of criticism for narrative audio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Keep in mind that drought-tolerant natives should be well-watered their first year or two before curtailing or eliminating watering altogether.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
-
In the 2022-23 season, the rainfall topped off Marin reservoirs and extracted the county from a significant drought.—
Adrian Rodriguez,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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