as in hierarchy
a series of types of living things in which each one uses the next lower member of the series as a source of food
Sharks eat fish that are lower in the food chain. animals that are at the top of the food chain
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for food chain
Noun
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Connecticut, unfortunately, has carved out its own niche in the lowest efficiency quadrant of this hierarchy.—
Lou Rinaldi,
Hartford Courant,
26 Jan. 2026 -
Their hierarchy simply wasn’t ever going to support the manager to the level required.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Small, raised rubber dots cover the toe and forefoot, then repeat in clustered groupings along the sides.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Expect offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to run Stevenson inside, where the Broncos are a little softer than other areas against the run, especially versus groupings with six offensive linemen; a staple of the Pats’ recent game plans.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Food chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/food%20chain. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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