as in hierarchies
a series of types of living things in which each one uses the next lower member of the series as a source of food
Sharks eat fish that are lower in the food chain. animals that are at the top of the food chain
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Recent Examples of food chains
The buzziest beauty companies looked to grocery shelves and food chains for inspiration this year.
—
Sonal Dutt, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Right now, convenience stores, liquor stores, bars and fast food chains line most of East Lancaseter.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2025
Through pollination, insects enable the reproduction of flowering plants, including many that form the base of food chains or are agriculturally important to humans.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
As part of the airport’s nearly $4 billion Terminal 1 renovation project, local restaurants, cafes, fast food chains and specialty stores are landing inside.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Other origin stories began at different fast food chains.
—Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Scientists say these have contaminated the soil, filled our oceans, disrupted food chains and penetrated most people’s organs and bones.
—Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
Katie Wiseman Many fast food chains like McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, and Taco Bell serve breakfast in the morning, but only for a limited time.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
In a worst-case scenario, escaped mirror organisms could displace essential microbes in soil and water ecosystems, triggering cascading collapses in food chains that support all complex life on Earth.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
Sonal Dutt, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Right now, convenience stores, liquor stores, bars and fast food chains line most of East Lancaseter.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2025
Through pollination, insects enable the reproduction of flowering plants, including many that form the base of food chains or are agriculturally important to humans.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
As part of the airport’s nearly $4 billion Terminal 1 renovation project, local restaurants, cafes, fast food chains and specialty stores are landing inside.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Other origin stories began at different fast food chains.
—Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Scientists say these have contaminated the soil, filled our oceans, disrupted food chains and penetrated most people’s organs and bones.
—Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025
Katie Wiseman Many fast food chains like McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, and Taco Bell serve breakfast in the morning, but only for a limited time.
—Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
In a worst-case scenario, escaped mirror organisms could displace essential microbes in soil and water ecosystems, triggering cascading collapses in food chains that support all complex life on Earth.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for food chains
Noun
-
The answer lies in bringing evidence hierarchies into the era of AI.—
Anna Forsythe,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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This two-way exchange not only bridges generational divides but also flattens traditional hierarchies.—
Ernestine Siu
Shreya Ghosal,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When in a forest, stay in proximity to shorter tree groupings.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
-
That was a byproduct of trying to insert new personnel groupings.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Syria’s current government has in some cases released Assadist figures accused of massacres and appointed former militia leaders accused of crimes against civilians to high ranks in the new army.—
Robin Yassin-Kassab,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
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The ranks of non-OPEC producers are also being boosted by higher output from Brazil, Canada, Guyana and Norway.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Food chains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/food%20chains. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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