as in shortages
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 famines
Modern-day famines are different than the famines that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s, when drought was the main driver in Ethiopia and other nations.
—
Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Somalia, in 2011, and South Sudan, in 2017, also saw famines in which tens of thousands of people were affected.
—Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
The government there kicked out a parallel United Nations system for detecting famines, called IPC, or the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 13 Aug. 2025
During the worst famines of past years, prices rose tenfold.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2025
Solve world hunger and starvation and famines and genocides.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 5 Aug. 2025
Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Somalia, in 2011, and South Sudan, in 2017, also saw famines in which tens of thousands of people were affected.
—Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025
The government there kicked out a parallel United Nations system for detecting famines, called IPC, or the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 13 Aug. 2025
During the worst famines of past years, prices rose tenfold.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2025
Solve world hunger and starvation and famines and genocides.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famines
Noun
-
According to an August report from the Office of Inspector General, the watchdog arm of the Department of Veterans Affairs, all 139 Veterans Health Administration facilities in the country have reported severe occupational shortages, a 50% increase from last year.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The shortages have plagued the workforce for many years now, educators have told ABC News, with many of them citing strict time demands, persistent behavioral issues and lack of administrative support, among other obstacles.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Davies’s film has a patience and lightness of touch that Scorsese’s lacks, as well as a note-perfect lead in Gillian Anderson.—
Elle Carroll,
Vulture,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Famines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famines. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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