as in shortages
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 famines
Models suggest Pacific Ocean surface temperatures could climb to a peak anomaly of 3°C above average by late 2026, a threshold reached only once in recorded history, during the catastrophic 1877–78 event that triggered deadly famines across three continents.
—
Dr. Douglas M. Hasson,
Hartford Courant,
28 May 2026
Tuberculosis, for instance, is estimated to have caused about a billion deaths across history, more than all famines and wars combined.
—
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
This was enough to cause widespread crop failures and famines.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Mar. 2026
Imagine what Irish and Indian patriots would have done to the innocent world language had the British staged massacres and caused famines on their lands.
—
John Connelly,
The New York Review of Books,
18 Dec. 2025
This was further supported by documentary evidence of poorer crop yields, weak harvests, and resultant famines.
—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 Dec. 2025
The 2025 Global Outlook report by the UN World Food Program (WFP) found that 319 million people face acute hunger, an increase of over 130 percent from pre-2020 levels, and that two famines are unfolding concurrently, in Gaza and in Sudan.
—
Arif Husain,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Nov. 2025
And that’s how America can turn one of the worst famines in history into a $13 billion party.
—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
28 Oct. 2025
Enter Bob Dylan, who gave a shoutout to those who grow the food that ends famines and sparked decades of giving through Live Aid.
—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Dr. Douglas M. Hasson,
Hartford Courant,
28 May 2026
Tuberculosis, for instance, is estimated to have caused about a billion deaths across history, more than all famines and wars combined.
—
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
This was enough to cause widespread crop failures and famines.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Mar. 2026
Imagine what Irish and Indian patriots would have done to the innocent world language had the British staged massacres and caused famines on their lands.
—
John Connelly,
The New York Review of Books,
18 Dec. 2025
This was further supported by documentary evidence of poorer crop yields, weak harvests, and resultant famines.
—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 Dec. 2025
The 2025 Global Outlook report by the UN World Food Program (WFP) found that 319 million people face acute hunger, an increase of over 130 percent from pre-2020 levels, and that two famines are unfolding concurrently, in Gaza and in Sudan.
—
Arif Husain,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Nov. 2025
And that’s how America can turn one of the worst famines in history into a $13 billion party.
—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
28 Oct. 2025
Enter Bob Dylan, who gave a shoutout to those who grow the food that ends famines and sparked decades of giving through Live Aid.
—
Daniel Wine,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famines
Noun
-
The same brain-drain has affected Venezuelan schools, which suffered serious teacher shortages before the earthquake.
-
For example, Schuetz hears complaints about the shortages of skilled labor, but the industry isn’t adopting process automation.
Noun
-
In terms of athletic forwards with size, this is a body type that the Spurs’ roster lacks in numbers.
-
Nothing beats a big package or a pipe to compensate for decorations, makeup, and other lacks.
Cite this Entry
“Famines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famines. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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