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
Now, the specter of genocide and famine haunts the region once again.
—
Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
The war has pushed parts of Sudan into famine.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Released in 2014, Interstellar took place in a dystopian future where Earth is suffering from world-ending famine, prompting a group of astronauts — led by former NASA test pilot Coop (Matthew McConaughey) — to go in search of a new home for humanity.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Born out of famine and conflict, both civil and global, this attitude still shapes Japanese thought and creativity.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 15 Apr. 2026
The war has pushed parts of Sudan into famine.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Released in 2014, Interstellar took place in a dystopian future where Earth is suffering from world-ending famine, prompting a group of astronauts — led by former NASA test pilot Coop (Matthew McConaughey) — to go in search of a new home for humanity.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Born out of famine and conflict, both civil and global, this attitude still shapes Japanese thought and creativity.
—Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
-
Right now, there’s no shortage of competition.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The shortage is particularly acute in the Philippines, which has declared a national state of energy emergency and risks running out of fuel.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Staff and managers complained about the lack of specifics, as did legal-services providers and advocacy groups.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Pratt took aim at Bass over the lack of water available during the inferno, with fire hydrants running dry.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Alfredrick Hughes, Loyola’s all-time leading scorer who helped the Ramblers end a 16-year NCAA Tournament drought during his All-America senior season, died Friday.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
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No, this wasn’t just a very bad drought; this was the 1930s Oklahoma Dust Bowl of droughts.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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