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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Recent Examples of starvation
Here, starvation is a tool of war, one of the many tactics the militias use before flattening a town.
—
Janine Di Giovanni,
Vanity Fair,
25 June 2026
These funds currently account for almost one-fifth of Haiti’s gross domestic product and are primarily used to prevent starvation, support daily necessities, and fund education and healthcare for relatives back home.
—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Less than two years after an infant girl died of apparent starvation in Mesquite, the child's parents pleaded guilty to a lesser crime and received lengthy prison sentences.
—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Most of the stories of starvation focused on strangers, or claimed that the respondent’s town had been spared the brunt of the famine—even when the statistics painted a different story entirely.
—
Amelia Soth,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for starvation
Janine Di Giovanni,
Vanity Fair,
25 June 2026
These funds currently account for almost one-fifth of Haiti’s gross domestic product and are primarily used to prevent starvation, support daily necessities, and fund education and healthcare for relatives back home.
—
Paul Vallas,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Less than two years after an infant girl died of apparent starvation in Mesquite, the child's parents pleaded guilty to a lesser crime and received lengthy prison sentences.
—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Most of the stories of starvation focused on strangers, or claimed that the respondent’s town had been spared the brunt of the famine—even when the statistics painted a different story entirely.
—
Amelia Soth,
JSTOR Daily,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for starvation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starvation
Noun
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The concept has already spread to more than 50 cities across 30 states and 10 countries, tapping into a growing hunger for face-to-face connection that dating apps have failed to deliver.
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In polling across four states, voters were nearly unanimous that ending childhood hunger should be bipartisan.
Noun
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The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million and pushed many parts of Sudan into famine.
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After 1840, immigration from Western Europe began to rise quickly as political instability in Germany and the famine in Ireland drove people to leave.
Noun
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Climate shocks exacerbate existing issues, leading to disease, malnutrition, and disrupted services.
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Two months ago, he was discovered wandering the San Francisco streets, blocks away from his typical habitat and suffering from severe malnutrition.
Cite this Entry
“Starvation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starvation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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