variants
also drouths
as in shortages
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there's been a drought of good movies this year
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Recent Examples of droughts
Snow droughts often develop from dry weather patterns that starve the West of any significant precipitation during the winter, said Dan McEvoy, a climatologist at the Desert Research Institute and Western Regional Climate Center.
—
Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
All that heat contributed to one of the worst snow droughts on record.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
Worsening wild weather influenced by climate change isn’t just superhot days, but includes deadly hurricanes, droughts and downpours, scientists told AP.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
This is because a warmer atmosphere pulls more moisture out of soils and plants, deepening droughts.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Colorado Water Conservation Board Director Lauren Ris explained that droughts do not affect every community the same way, and understanding where the impacts are most severe can help the state respond to those challenges.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
Those farms have long-standing water-use permits that guarantee a set amount of water, even during droughts.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
The data matches records of episodic droughts in Europe that may have triggered local wildfires.
—Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2026
Similarly, recent droughts may cause the insects to lay more eggs in healthy-looking lawns instead of in natural vegetation.
—Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
All that heat contributed to one of the worst snow droughts on record.
—Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
Worsening wild weather influenced by climate change isn’t just superhot days, but includes deadly hurricanes, droughts and downpours, scientists told AP.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
This is because a warmer atmosphere pulls more moisture out of soils and plants, deepening droughts.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Colorado Water Conservation Board Director Lauren Ris explained that droughts do not affect every community the same way, and understanding where the impacts are most severe can help the state respond to those challenges.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
Those farms have long-standing water-use permits that guarantee a set amount of water, even during droughts.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
The data matches records of episodic droughts in Europe that may have triggered local wildfires.
—Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2026
Similarly, recent droughts may cause the insects to lay more eggs in healthy-looking lawns instead of in natural vegetation.
—Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for droughts
Noun
-
The staffing shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically for travelers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Most alarming were potential shortages of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) interceptor missiles, which are among the most effective weapons to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles.—
Aidan Stretch,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As of Wednesday, firearms dealers are required under state law to use scanners that pull the prospective purchaser’s name, date of birth and other details from the card’s magnetic strip, which the new design lacks — except if they are authorized otherwise.—
Madison Smalstig,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Each provides amino acids that the other lacks, so eating them together gives you all the essential amino acids.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Droughts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droughts. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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