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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lack
the fact or state of being absent
the dearth of salesclerks at the shoe store annoyed us
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dearth
Considering the worldwide dearth of honest information, even in legacy media, the Sun Sentinel should be the flagship in reporting the facts and just the facts (about the Florida TaxWatch report mentioned in Steve Bousquet’s column, for example).
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
There could be a bigger dearth of small-school names called in this year’s draft on April 23-25 in Pittsburgh because of the 319 prospects invited to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, only 17 were from nonpower conference schools.
—Arnie Stapleton, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
In the lead-up to the killings in Gombe, there was a dearth of females ready to mate, some of the friendliest older males died and the group experienced a change in alpha male.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
There could be a bigger dearth of small-school names called in this year's draft on April 23-25 in Pittsburgh because of the 319 prospects invited to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, only 17 were from nonpower conference schools.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dearth
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026
There could be a bigger dearth of small-school names called in this year’s draft on April 23-25 in Pittsburgh because of the 319 prospects invited to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, only 17 were from nonpower conference schools.
—Arnie Stapleton, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
In the lead-up to the killings in Gombe, there was a dearth of females ready to mate, some of the friendliest older males died and the group experienced a change in alpha male.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Apr. 2026
There could be a bigger dearth of small-school names called in this year's draft on April 23-25 in Pittsburgh because of the 319 prospects invited to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, only 17 were from nonpower conference schools.
—ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dearth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dearth
Noun
-
Right now, there’s no shortage of competition.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The shortage is particularly acute in the Philippines, which has declared a national state of energy emergency and risks running out of fuel.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Staff and managers complained about the lack of specifics, as did legal-services providers and advocacy groups.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Pratt took aim at Bass over the lack of water available during the inferno, with fire hydrants running dry.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
San Antonio won Game 3 on the road in Wembanyama’s absence, came back from a 19-point deficit in Game 4 and cruised in Game 5.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
2 May 2026
-
Budget-conscious and leisure travelers would likely feel Spirit’s absence the most, especially in places where the airline has a big footprint such as Las Vegas and the Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dearth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dearth. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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