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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of famine
Its rays struggled to reach the planet’s surface, leading crops to fail and famines to spread.
—
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
Snow here is feast or famine—either nothing or a blizzard that shuts down life for a week.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2025
If Israeli authorities enforce the new laws, U.N. officials are warning that no other group will be able to replace UNRWA and that its crucial humanitarian operations in Gaza will grind to a halt at a moment when experts say famine is threatening parts of the territory.
—Jack Nicas, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Despite a long history as an agricultural trade hub, Madani has been marked by experts as an area at risk of famine due to the blockades imposed as part of the conflict.
—Reuters, CNN, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for famine 
Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025
Snow here is feast or famine—either nothing or a blizzard that shuts down life for a week.
—Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2025
If Israeli authorities enforce the new laws, U.N. officials are warning that no other group will be able to replace UNRWA and that its crucial humanitarian operations in Gaza will grind to a halt at a moment when experts say famine is threatening parts of the territory.
—Jack Nicas, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Despite a long history as an agricultural trade hub, Madani has been marked by experts as an area at risk of famine due to the blockades imposed as part of the conflict.
—Reuters, CNN, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for famine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famine
Noun
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Nandy said creative industry bosses have told her about skills shortages stemming from a lack of investment and the downgrading of arts subjects on the school curriculum.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
20 Jan. 2025
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Rankings consider forecasted price increases, how quickly homes sell, inventory shortages, rising rents and local job and population growth, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and the company’s own listing data.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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After an underwhelming opening, the Disney release has shown good staying power, taking advantage of January’s lack of competition.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
25 Jan. 2025
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But he will occasionally get beat by good shooters and his lack of size has been exposed at times by pros.—
Scott Wheeler,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Upper Basin states argue that their smaller reservoirs and more severe drought conditions justify keeping their water consumption levels higher, while the Lower Basin states, already committed to significant cuts, push for more aggressive reductions.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
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Brown led the Kings to 48 wins and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacramento Bee,
28 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near famine
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famine. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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