starvation

Definition of starvationnext
as in hunger
suffering or death caused by having nothing to eat or not enough to eat; the condition of someone who is starving The famine brought mass starvation. Millions of people face starvation every day. They died from starvation.

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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 starvation The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care due to its radical policies. Sopheng Cheang, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975–79 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many of their countrymen from executions, starvation, and lack of medical care due to its radical policies. ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 Thanks to the grouse’s catholic tastes, there are no known reports of death by starvation. Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026 The outcry of criticism comes as a report used by the United Nations and quoted by much of the world's media projected starvation in Gaza well into June. Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for starvation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starvation
Noun
  • More than half the population is estimated to need humanitarian assistance because of surging gang violence amid deepening poverty and hunger.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • For more than 40 years, Weld Food Bank has been fighting hunger across all of Weld County.
    Libby Smith, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The Bengal famine, in which some three million people, Hindus and Muslims, starved to death, was, as many have argued, caused in part by wartime disruptions to grain supplies and by imperial policy.
    Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The conflict killed 150,000 and brought many others to the brink of famine.
    Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The free meals program aims to combat malnutrition and reduce childhood stunting by providing meals to nearly 90 million students, toddlers and pregnant women.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The program, which is expected to cost about $28 billion through 2029, works to fight malnutrition and reduce childhood stunting by providing meals to millions across the country, according to the AP.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Starvation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starvation. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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