as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there's a famine of good general practitioners in many rural areas
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Recent Examples of famine
During that period, more than one million Kazakhs died in famine, while roughly two million people were imprisoned or deported to gulags on politically motivated charges.
—
Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 May 2026
Potatoes are highly susceptible to pests like the Colorado potato beetle and diseases like late blight that caused the Irish potato famine.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 23 May 2026
Stories harmful to Israel—false claims that Israel caused a famine as a weapon of war, or that an Israeli air strike destroyed a Gazan hospital—are reported credulously and corrected slowly, if at all.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The conflict in Sudan has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million and pushed many parts of the country into famine.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 May 2026
Potatoes are highly susceptible to pests like the Colorado potato beetle and diseases like late blight that caused the Irish potato famine.
—Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 23 May 2026
Stories harmful to Israel—false claims that Israel caused a famine as a weapon of war, or that an Israeli air strike destroyed a Gazan hospital—are reported credulously and corrected slowly, if at all.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The conflict in Sudan has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million and pushed many parts of the country into famine.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
-
Despite more than $100 million in federal investment, the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority continues to struggle with aging generators, equipment shortages and years of deferred maintenance.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
In a time of a workforce shortage, Mainstay is not replacing people with tech.—
Megan Shinn,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
But despite this, experts say the lack of AI play is not the main reason why global investors are exiting India.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
This area is the best of the best—in part because of the wildlife sightings but also because of the lack of vehicles (the land is exclusively crossed by guests of Singita Lebombo and Singita Sweni).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The best summer-flowering perennials will carry a garden through heat, drought, deluge, and whatever else summer serves up.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 May 2026
-
The Padres’ first hit with a runner in scoring position after a drought of 37 at-bats dating to Friday, a single by Machado, scored Gavin Sheets in the top of the third to get the Padres to 3-2.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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