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 But perhaps that’s part of James’ point — that body expectations for women are so unrealistic that many, like Hana, are driven to starvation and self-loathing. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026 In November, a medical examiner ruled Mimi's cause of death as fatal child abuse with starvation and the manner of death as homicide, NBC Connecticut reported. Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026 Welcomed by Humankind, the advanced visitors bring beneficial technologies to our planet that wipe out starvation, war, and disease. Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Jan. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for starvation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starvation
Noun
  • Solve world hunger, kill all the people.
    Jevon Phillips, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
  • For example, the research shows that some people inherit genes or hormone changes that disrupt hunger signals, while traits like perfectionism, low self-esteem, or past trauma also raise the risk.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The latter possibility, however, could give rise to enough disaster and famine to fully destabilize human civilization.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Feb. 2026
  • The psychic and physical toll of white supremacy, sustained cruelty, imprisonment, famine, poverty, depression, grief, or illness constricts one’s depth of imagination and movement.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • From the far northeastern province of Badakhshan, the young mother of two was bounced around hospitals there and in the northern city of Kunduz as doctors struggled to treat her gravely ill baby, suffering from a heart problem and severe pneumonia compounded by malnutrition.
    ABC News, ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Scurvy comes from severe malnutrition and vitamin C deficiency.
    Cate Martel, The Hill, 12 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Starvation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starvation. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.

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