1
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there was a dearth of usable firewood at the campsite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lack
the fact or state of being absent
the dearth of salesclerks at the shoe store annoyed us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dearth
Unfortunately, geriatrics is a specialty with a dearth of providers.
—
Jerry Gurwitz, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
The dearth has left many residents without water for several weeks, and some throughout the city have begun to speak out against Johannesburg’s infrastructure.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 25 Feb. 2026
The price appears to be the neighborhood’s most-expensive lease on record, Serhant’s Marc Riedel tells me, attributing the rate to a dearth of similar inventory.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 24 Feb. 2026
There is a dearth of curries in New York—something chef Vijay Kumar, of Dhamaka, Adda, and Semma, has been steadily remedying in recent years.
—Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dearth
Jerry Gurwitz, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
The dearth has left many residents without water for several weeks, and some throughout the city have begun to speak out against Johannesburg’s infrastructure.
—Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 25 Feb. 2026
The price appears to be the neighborhood’s most-expensive lease on record, Serhant’s Marc Riedel tells me, attributing the rate to a dearth of similar inventory.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 24 Feb. 2026
There is a dearth of curries in New York—something chef Vijay Kumar, of Dhamaka, Adda, and Semma, has been steadily remedying in recent years.
—Elena Clavarino, Air Mail, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dearth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dearth
Noun
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Progress in robotics Agility’s humanoid robot, Digit, has already entered the market, demonstrating its readiness to tackle the labor shortage in factories and warehouses.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
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Fuel prices in Asia have surged in recent days as processors reduce activity rates due to a shortage of crude, while state-of-the-art refineries in the Middle East cut production as storage runs out.—
Nicholas Lua,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In response to this lack of demand, Canadian airlines cut flights, driving the number of seats on planes from Canada to Las Vegas to its lowest point in two decades.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
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Other residents expressed frustration as Wu administration officials pooh-poohed not only Pepén’s snow-removal proposal, due to a lack of capacity, but ideas put forward by Councilors Brian Worrell and Ed Flynn, who chaired the hearing.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But there were inexcusable losses along the way, losses that didn’t hinge on one player’s absence — and might’ve singlehandedly changed the conversation over USC’s season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Asbille has not publicly commented on her absence from the show, People writes.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dearth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dearth. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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