food chains

plural of food chain
as in hierarchies
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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of food chains Fast food chains such as Taco Bell, McDonald's and Wendy's also have footprints at Walmart stores, along with several regional operators such as Auntie Anne's. Nicholas P. Brown, USA Today, 8 June 2026 These highly aggressive fish pose a threat to native species and can disrupt food chains by eating and outcompeting native fish, according to the United States Geological Survey. Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026 Italy’s already squeezed farmers are under strain by large supermarket and food chains. Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 4 June 2026 Here are the latest specials and deals announced by fast food chains in news releases, social media posts, or on their websites. Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 3 June 2026 Which fast food chains use beef tallow today Beef tallow never disappeared entirely, and a handful of chains have either kept it or brought it back. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026 And people shouldn’t bash him for highlighting a California culinary institution that’s one of the better legacy fast food chains out there, even though the Barstow Taco is, well, whatever. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 The drinks are also more profitable for fast food chains than the standard soda fountain drinks or plain coffees. ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026 Fast food chains, thirsty for new ways to grow, are amping up their beverage offerings. Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for food chains
Noun
  • Scholars have highlighted the ways in which Jim Crow informed the Nuremberg Laws, yet German colonial rule in Africa produced anti-miscegenation regulations and racial hierarchies that predate the Nazi period.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
  • Networks of competence are prioritized ahead of hierarchies of authority.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Noun
  • When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
  • When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • Castle said victims are too often left with limited options when allegations are mishandled or ignored within the ranks.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
  • The list complied with a 2013 congressional mandate to capture a better picture of the faith and beliefs in the ranks.
    Luis Martinez, ABC News, 8 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Food chains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/food%20chains. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.

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