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
The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million, and pushed many parts of the country into famine.
—
Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
On top of that, the vast majority were malnourished, as Israeli restrictions on aid drove Gaza’s population to the brink of famine at times.
—Toqa Ezzidin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
For big leaguers that go against Sánchez, the pitcher’s bounty has become their famine, leading to a historic scoreless streak.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Models suggest Pacific Ocean surface temperatures could climb to a peak anomaly of 3°C above average by late 2026, a threshold reached only once in recorded history, during the catastrophic 1877–78 event that triggered deadly famines across three continents.
—Dr. Douglas M. Hasson, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
On top of that, the vast majority were malnourished, as Israeli restrictions on aid drove Gaza’s population to the brink of famine at times.
—Toqa Ezzidin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
For big leaguers that go against Sánchez, the pitcher’s bounty has become their famine, leading to a historic scoreless streak.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026
Models suggest Pacific Ocean surface temperatures could climb to a peak anomaly of 3°C above average by late 2026, a threshold reached only once in recorded history, during the catastrophic 1877–78 event that triggered deadly famines across three continents.
—Dr. Douglas M. Hasson, Hartford Courant, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
-
Tony & Tara Eiguren The great potato capital has no shortage of great Basque food either, thanks to a hearty diaspora and community members like Tony and Tara Eiguren.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Beyond the direct threat posed by drones, Russians are facing growing fuel shortages as Ukraine’s strikes on oil refineries limit supply.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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In addition to mowing high, consider that clover tolerates drought better than some types of grass.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
6 June 2026
-
Karl-Anthony Towns, who had carried so much of the night, didn’t touch the ball on five straight Knicks possessions during the late scoring drought.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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