food chain

noun

Definition of food chain

1 : an arrangement of the organisms of an ecological community according to the order of predation in which each uses the next usually lower member as a food source

2 : a hierarchy based on power or importance at the top of the corporate food chain

Examples of food chain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its ability to accommodate any plane is what keeps it at the top of the food chain. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "As It Begins Its Second Century, Is the Aircraft Carrier Obsolete?," 5 Nov. 2018 The 73-year-old customer went to the fast food chain in Lakewood for lunch and tried to use a buy-one-get-one Whopper coupon for his purchase. — Fox News, "Ohio Burger King customer calls 911 after employee refuses to honor coupons," 16 Sep. 2018 Last year, four fried chicken restaurants – Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, Zaxby’s and Wingstop — were among the ten fastest-growing fast-food chains in America. — Sabrina Ford, USA TODAY, "Krispy Krunchy Chicken: Fried franchise wins taste buds one fill-up at a time," 15 June 2018 Of the companies agreeing to stop the practice, only Arby’s was one of the eight fast-food chains the team of eleven attorneys general sent a letter to Monday requesting information about no-poaching agreements in the companies’ contracts. — Courtney Becker, Philly.com, "Fast-food companies agree to end no-poaching agreements," 12 July 2018 Hardee’s is one of several fast-food chains tweaking its image and redesigning its stores to appeal to a wider demographic, particularly a younger audience. — Lizzy Alfs, USA TODAY, "Hardee's, Carl's Jr. chains part ways in fast-food image shakeup," 19 June 2018 The bulk of the fast-food chains are on the west side, but both centers have a combination of fast-food, fast-casual and dine-in places and a ridiculous amount of options for one of the most booming areas of Tarrant County. — Robert Philpot, star-telegram, "What's Newk's? It's ready to answer that question in far north Fort Worth," 5 June 2018 The fast-food chain is trying to draw in diners by revamping stores, using fresh ingredients and pushing sustainability initiatives such as one that requires beef suppliers to reduce their use of antibiotics over the next few years. — Micah Maidenberg, WSJ, "McDonald’s Pushes Up Prices in the U.S., But Overall Sales Drop," 30 Jan. 2019 The company’s portfolio also includes a traditional men’s clothing maker in Kenya, coffee ventures in Madagascar and an East African fast-food chain. — Matina Stevis-gridneff, WSJ, "After Surviving 9/11, Young Investment Analyst Charted a New Career Course," 23 Jan. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'food chain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.