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
The war has pushed parts of Sudan into famine.
—
Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
According to Wong, the poem was written to commemorate her ancestors who were lost to The Great Leap Forward, the largest famine in human history.
—Mckayla Coyle, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Released in 2014, Interstellar took place in a dystopian future where Earth is suffering from world-ending famine, prompting a group of astronauts — led by former NASA test pilot Coop (Matthew McConaughey) — to go in search of a new home for humanity.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Born out of famine and conflict, both civil and global, this attitude still shapes Japanese thought and creativity.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
According to Wong, the poem was written to commemorate her ancestors who were lost to The Great Leap Forward, the largest famine in human history.
—Mckayla Coyle, Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
Released in 2014, Interstellar took place in a dystopian future where Earth is suffering from world-ending famine, prompting a group of astronauts — led by former NASA test pilot Coop (Matthew McConaughey) — to go in search of a new home for humanity.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Born out of famine and conflict, both civil and global, this attitude still shapes Japanese thought and creativity.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
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That means there will be no shortage of motivation in these final weeks, and their key players should continue to play every minute despite their run to the semi-finals of the Europa League.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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That’s just one example of what more than three decades of chronic school funding shortages under Colorado’s decades-old spending cap has led to.—
Kevin Vick,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Goldman Sachs estimated that Qatar could see its GDP plunge by 14%, citing its lack of alternative export channels to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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This Fire sign is, after all, notorious for its lack of a filter… and the 24-year-old singer just so happens to have her sun, Venus and Pluto here.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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At the start of the month, Opta’s supercomputer considered this all but a coronation for Arsenal, assigning them a 97 per cent chance of ending their 22-year title drought.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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This spring, a record-breaking drought has made those pumps run longer and harder - burning through even more fuel at a steep cost.—
Drew Hawkins,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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