as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour
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Recent Examples of paucity
Two years ago, former Atlantans and veteran documentarians Ryan White and Jessica Hargrave felt like there was a paucity of funny documentaries.
—
Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Environmental factors are believed to be at play — an abundance of near-work activities, screen time at early ages and a paucity of time spent outdoors.
—Brian Park, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
One potential showstopper after another fell flat, every song undersold and suffering from a paucity of punch.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
Given the paucity of high-level bats left on the market behind Tucker, the Mets may shift their priorities and emphasize upgrades to their pitching staff while seeking modest additions to the lineup.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paucity
Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Environmental factors are believed to be at play — an abundance of near-work activities, screen time at early ages and a paucity of time spent outdoors.
—Brian Park, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
One potential showstopper after another fell flat, every song undersold and suffering from a paucity of punch.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
Given the paucity of high-level bats left on the market behind Tucker, the Mets may shift their priorities and emphasize upgrades to their pitching staff while seeking modest additions to the lineup.
—Tim Britton, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paucity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paucity
Noun
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As the Department of Transportation faced criticism for widespread flight delays caused by a shortage of air traffic controllers amid a government shutdown in 2025, Duffy appeared at a campaign event for his son.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
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With a smorgasbord of food deals from local and national chains to choose from, there's no shortage of ways to celebrate.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Last year there were a lack of women’s matches during the night sessions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Investigators believe that Obeidin fell asleep as a result of the lack of sleep from the fraternity activities.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paucity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paucity. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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