as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there's a famine of good general practitioners in many rural areas
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Recent Examples of famine
With increasing displacement caused by war, civil violence, famine, and climate catastrophe, the pressures at borders across the world are unprecedented.
—
Edward Alden, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
Hundreds of aid trucks had entered daily since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, easing fears of famine raised by international experts.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
The website of the famine early warning network has gone dark.
—Somini Sengupta, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
After two years of war, over 30 million people – more than half of them children – are living in the grip of mass atrocities, famine and deadly disease.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Edward Alden, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2025
Hundreds of aid trucks had entered daily since the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, easing fears of famine raised by international experts.
—Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
The website of the famine early warning network has gone dark.
—Somini Sengupta, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
After two years of war, over 30 million people – more than half of them children – are living in the grip of mass atrocities, famine and deadly disease.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
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In 2021, as automakers tried to ramp up production that had been curtailed in the first year of the pandemic, a shortage of parts, most notably computer chips, cut into car production.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
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Aviation safety news: FAA to hire 2,000 air traffic controllers amid shortages, tightens Boeing oversightNeed a break?—
David Shepardson,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Still, the Mets have largely been able to overcome a lack of production at the bottom because of a strong bullpen.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2025
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In the European Union, where Temu hopes to further expand, regulators opened an investigation into the company’s practices and products, citing concern over lack of compliance with the Digital Services Act.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Zimbabwe have not played Test cricket against a ‘big three’ country since 2005, but will break that drought next month against England in a one-off Test match at Trent Bridge.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Now, they’re left with that nine-year drought, a fan base that is running out of patience, and an imperative to not repeat this all next season.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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