as in shortages
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dearths
Noun
-
Staffing shortages identified years ago continue to undermine security and basic operations.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026 -
The delivery comes as Ukraine leans heavily on drones to offset shortages in traditional missiles and aircraft.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Economic theory would suggest that the best place to make a major investment such as a STAR bond would be in a place that has low, or lacks, economic activity.—
Sofi Zeman
January 21,
Kansas City Star,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The 6-2, 2-00-pounder lacks experience but does boast ideal length and versatility and currently projects as a late-round selection or free agent.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Dec. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Dearths.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dearths. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
