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
Regions once threatened by famine began to feed themselves more reliably.
—
Kate Levasseur, Des Moines Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Dilling experienced famine-like conditions after more than two years of siege under the RSF during which the paramilitaries cut off supplies and frequently bombed the area.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The group has been fighting against the Sudanese military since April 2023 in a war that has pushed parts of the country into famine and is marked by widespread atrocities.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
This was enough to cause widespread crop failures and famines.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Kate Levasseur, Des Moines Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Dilling experienced famine-like conditions after more than two years of siege under the RSF during which the paramilitaries cut off supplies and frequently bombed the area.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The group has been fighting against the Sudanese military since April 2023 in a war that has pushed parts of the country into famine and is marked by widespread atrocities.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
This was enough to cause widespread crop failures and famines.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
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In response, the Fashion Institute of Technology has partnered with Nordstrom to create a training program aimed at addressing the shortage.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
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Reuse was essential because in many contemporary cities, and especially across China, water shortages could be as much of a problem as flooding.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As recently as 2022, research group IDinsight found unintended pregnancy was, after a lack of money for school fees, the leading cause of girls not returning to education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
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In Miami-Dade, the lack of oversight has been acute, the Herald found.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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UConn turned to Reed, who had 11 points in 18 first-half minutes, to end a five-minute scoring drought with a hook shot.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
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The Post also apparently believes agriculture and ranching have no responsibility in helping to cope with the drought, despite the fact that agriculture uses at least 85% of water consumed in the state.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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