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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Recent Examples of starvation
In an interview with the Miami Herald, David and Ariel described two long years marked by starvation, isolation and psychological abuse.
—
Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Nine in the bay were killed by ship strikes last year while another 12 appear to have died of starvation.
—David Helvarg, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
Famine conditions in Gaza City have eased since the ceasefire began in October, but the situation remains critical, with the entire strip still at risk of starvation, according to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the world’s leading authority on food crises.
—Nick Duffy, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
By 1900, only a precious few Blackfeet had made it through the gantlet of smallpox, warfare, starvation, and Christianization.
—David Treuer, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for starvation
Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Nine in the bay were killed by ship strikes last year while another 12 appear to have died of starvation.
—David Helvarg, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
Famine conditions in Gaza City have eased since the ceasefire began in October, but the situation remains critical, with the entire strip still at risk of starvation, according to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the world’s leading authority on food crises.
—Nick Duffy, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
By 1900, only a precious few Blackfeet had made it through the gantlet of smallpox, warfare, starvation, and Christianization.
—David Treuer, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for starvation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starvation
Noun
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Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
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However, if trying to lose weight, some hunger is to be expected.—
Ashley Olivine,
Verywell Health,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There were participants in our cohort who remained rightfully critical of our utopian aims, our spectrum of privilege, and our position as cultural workers living through global extinction, famine, corruption, and violence in all its forms.—
Catherine Taft,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
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It’s based on the true story of journalist Gareth Jones, who wrote about the Holodomor, the famine in Ukraine that killed millions.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Collectively, our organizations have decades of experience working to address child malnutrition, global poverty, and humanitarian crises.—
Reem Alabali Radovan,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
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Winter cold and rains as well as malnutrition are still killing people in Gaza, despite the ceasefire being in its fourth month.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Starvation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starvation. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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