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
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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
Scientists say these have contaminated the soil, filled our oceans, disrupted food chains and penetrated most people’s organs and bones.
—
Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
Katie Wiseman Many fast food chains like McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, and Taco Bell serve breakfast in the morning, but only for a limited time.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
In a worst-case scenario, escaped mirror organisms could displace essential microbes in soil and water ecosystems, triggering cascading collapses in food chains that support all complex life on Earth.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
Katie Wiseman Several fast food chains like McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, and Taco Bell serve breakfast in the morning, but only for a limited time.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 25 Aug. 2025
Oceans and rivers clogged with plastics disrupt food chains, while burning plastic waste releases toxins and greenhouse gases.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Food blogger markie_devo, who has correctly predicted or leaked new menu items for various food chains across the country, shared a post which stated a list of the fall menu items.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2025
Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
Katie Wiseman Many fast food chains like McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, and Taco Bell serve breakfast in the morning, but only for a limited time.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
In a worst-case scenario, escaped mirror organisms could displace essential microbes in soil and water ecosystems, triggering cascading collapses in food chains that support all complex life on Earth.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
Katie Wiseman Several fast food chains like McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, and Taco Bell serve breakfast in the morning, but only for a limited time.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 25 Aug. 2025
Oceans and rivers clogged with plastics disrupt food chains, while burning plastic waste releases toxins and greenhouse gases.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Food blogger markie_devo, who has correctly predicted or leaked new menu items for various food chains across the country, shared a post which stated a list of the fall menu items.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for food chains
Noun
-
Decentralize Decision-Making While Preserving Oversight The Pennsylvania event showed exactly what will happen to enterprises stuck in rigid hierarchies—one failure can ripple through the entire system because decision-making and recovery are slow.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
In 1959, six years before I was born, Pakistan was ruled by a general who had seized power in a military coup and elevated himself to the rank of Field Marshall—the highest rank in the British army, whose structures and hierarchies were inherited by several post-colonial nations.—
Mohammed Hanif,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Leeds are tipped to survive the drop after adding Premier League experience and European talent to their ranks.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Like college coaches, social media gurus work their way through the ranks of the industry, and in an age where all eyeballs can attract revenues and sponsorships and ultimately, more money in the pockets of players and recruits in a competitive marketplace, Lazarus and his colleagues are valuable.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Food chains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/food%20chains. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share