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
There is now a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and this week the United Nations said its Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, showed mounting evidence of a worsening famine.
—
Phil Helsel, NBC news, 1 Aug. 2025
As law and order further breaks down and famine takes hold across Gaza, agencies trying to get aid to warehouses and distribution points in the territory rely on groups such as Abu Mughsaib.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 31 July 2025
The Sudan war impacts neighboring South Sudan, another one of the countries most at risk of famine.
—William Lambers, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025
The leading international authority on food crisis said Tuesday via an alert that the worst-case scenario of famine was occurring in the Gaza Strip.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Phil Helsel, NBC news, 1 Aug. 2025
As law and order further breaks down and famine takes hold across Gaza, agencies trying to get aid to warehouses and distribution points in the territory rely on groups such as Abu Mughsaib.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 31 July 2025
The Sudan war impacts neighboring South Sudan, another one of the countries most at risk of famine.
—William Lambers, New York Daily News, 30 July 2025
The leading international authority on food crisis said Tuesday via an alert that the worst-case scenario of famine was occurring in the Gaza Strip.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
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The idea for Draft One came from staffing shortages that Axon’s police department clients were facing, Isner said.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
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Companies are experimenting with deep-sea tech to produce cheaper fresh water From Cape Town to Tehran to Lima to Phoenix, dozens of cities across the globe have experienced water shortages recently.—
Vanessa Bates Ramirez,
Scientific American,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Another driver of instability is the lack of details about the trade agreements that have so far been reached.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
17 Aug. 2025
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Feeding those intrusive thoughts was a lack of precedent.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Despite a scorching start to August, metro Phoenix was expected to continue to see a milder heat this fall, especially compared with the recent years loaded with heat records and relentless droughts.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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With abundant fresh water, lower exposure to hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts, and a temperate climate projected to remain livable longer than most, Toronto is situated on one of the safest bets for long-term climate stability in North America.—
Phil De Luna,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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