1
as in misery
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
he dreamed of finding a good job and working his way out of poverty and debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a poverty of information about the new policies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poverty
Such families are common in Appalachia, where poverty and incarceration rates are high, and the effects of the opioid crisis linger across successive generations.
—
Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
King warned that the war would devour Johnson’s ambition for a Great Society, consuming the resources meant to relieve poverty here at home.
—Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
Barbara Poynter, one of the six original Bible study group members with McFadden, said what has not changed are the issues which brought the members of the church together in the first place — combatting poverty and homelessness locally.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Social Security keeps 20 million older people and a million children out of poverty.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for poverty
Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
King warned that the war would devour Johnson’s ambition for a Great Society, consuming the resources meant to relieve poverty here at home.
—Mark Conway, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2026
Barbara Poynter, one of the six original Bible study group members with McFadden, said what has not changed are the issues which brought the members of the church together in the first place — combatting poverty and homelessness locally.
—Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Social Security keeps 20 million older people and a million children out of poverty.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for poverty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poverty
Noun
-
The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
There are fun bad teams, or teams that at least make a unique bonding experience out of their specific type of misery.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
American officials also said Beijing would address rare earth shortages, although this was not mentioned in the corresponding statement from China.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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There is no shortage of choices, from fast-growing bushes for a privacy hedge, evergreen shrubs that provide year-round color in your yard, or flowering shrubs with gorgeous blooms in the spring or summer.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Fuel and fertilizer needed for the rice crop are just the latest necessities to become unaffordable in Rakhine state, which has been devastated by intense fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), one of the many rebel groups in the country.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
16 May 2026
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In a competitive labor market, flexibility may increasingly become an economic necessity rather than a workplace perk.—
ByBryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The guard admitted he was surprised by the lack of questions about his medical status but voiced confidence that the issue would not continue into his NBA career.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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The defense has detailed the lack of physical evidence — no DNA or blood was found on Murdaugh or any of his clothes, even though the killings were at close range with powerful weapons that were never found.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
When the family patriarch dies, Nicholas, his mother, and sister are thrown into financial destitution.—
Diana Arterian,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Even longtime supporters from the Alawite religious minority—the sect to which the Assads belong—began to complain about their destitution.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For most people eating a typical diet, sodium deficiency is very rare.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
This season, however, due to a number of factors including changing personnel, injuries, underperformance from key players and tactical deficiencies, Liverpool have become a soft touch and easy to play against.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Noun
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By studying how tissues can survive without oxygen, researchers can potentially develop therapeutics to treat conditions of oxygen deprivation, such as strokes.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
13 May 2026
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The shift comes as Americans report record levels of stress and sleep deprivation, and as the global sleep economy balloons into a multibillion-dollar industry.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
Noun
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However, there is broad consensus that the surge, fueled by enthusiasm around artificial intelligence, can’t last forever and California must address its structural deficit, with spending outpacing revenue collection.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
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Wood said the Southlake Carroll school district is projecting a budget deficit while facing a decline in enrollment and increasing costs, like many other districts across Texas.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poverty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poverty. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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