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
This deliberately obscures the possibility that some victims were lactating female bears — and for every dead mother, there was probably at least one cub in danger of dying from starvation.
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Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Famine conditions in Gaza City have eased since the ceasefire began in October, according to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the world’s leading authority on food crises, but the situation remains critical, with the entire strip still at risk of starvation.
—Tavleen Tarrant, NBC news, 28 Dec. 2025
Andrew dies of dehydration and starvation when he’s trapped in the attic after Millie leaves him with no food or water.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 26 Dec. 2025
Without the headlines generated by war and starvation in Gaza, the administration is unlikely to sustain its efforts.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for starvation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starvation
Noun
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Children go to bed early to avoid the pang of hunger; parents choose between filling a prescription and buying groceries.—
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His brands, including Juicy Fruit and Spearmint, promoted gum as a way to calm nerves, curb hunger and stay focused.—
Noun
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These are among the many questions posed by Simon Morrison’s sprawling biography of place, which seeks to understand a nation through the life of its largest city, tracing Moscow’s evolution via dozens of historical upheavals, from war, famine, drought, and much, much more.—
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The dinner table isn’t the only place feeling the feta famine.—
Noun
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Many suffer from malnutrition and avoidable infectious diseases.—
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Shortages of food, once guaranteed by a government rationing system, are threatening to push millions of Cubans closer to malnutrition.—
Cite this Entry
“Starvation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starvation. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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