1
as in sparse
less plentiful than what is normal, necessary, or desirable
food was a bit scarce last winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
help is always scarce in the resort town during the busy summer season
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scarce
Of greater relevance for our purposes may be his relatively scarce international involvement since committing to the USMNT in 2022, having previously represented Germany at all major youth levels.
—
Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 19 May 2025
But with land and material costs rising and labor increasingly scarce, many pivoted their attention to the move-up and luxury markets after the housing crash.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2025
While discrete graphics options are absent and some other more premium features are scarce, Acer includes OLED screen upgrade options on these systems.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
The fact is jobs are scarce because movies are scarce.
—Bill Mechanic, Deadline, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarce
Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 19 May 2025
But with land and material costs rising and labor increasingly scarce, many pivoted their attention to the move-up and luxury markets after the housing crash.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2025
While discrete graphics options are absent and some other more premium features are scarce, Acer includes OLED screen upgrade options on these systems.
—Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
The fact is jobs are scarce because movies are scarce.
—Bill Mechanic, Deadline, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarce
Adjective
-
The risk was getting waived and wallowing in the G League with sparse crowds, commercial travel between remote locales and a dog-eat-dog team culture for as little as $40,500.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2025
-
Soto, meanwhile, received a smattering of boos from a sparse crowd, particularly after a seventh-inning groundout.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Massive clouds of pollutants could collide in North Carolina this week and result in poor air quality conditions for millions.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2025
-
This lack of preparation yields poor communication that worsens difficult situations and burns bridges between companies and fired employees.—
Nicole Tidei,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Labor advocates say the strikers’ benefits bill is a necessary counter to the advantages most employers have at the bargaining table, especially since the Trump administration has left the National Labor Relations Board with insufficient members to act and shrunk the ranks of labor mediators.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
31 May 2025
-
What defense attorneys say Patel’s attorneys, who have argued that the evidence was insufficient, had not filed a sentencing recommendation by Tuesday.—
Steve Karnowski,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Per Trump’s promise, the proposal leaves Title I (support for schools with low income students) and IDEA (funding for students with special needs) intact.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Even with the longstanding recommendations, vaccination rates were relatively low for children and pregnant women.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
Last December, a tiff erupted between billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, on the one side, and MAGA champions including Steve Bannon, over the formers’ claims that H-1B workers are needed because the homegrown tech workforce is inadequate.—
Alec MacGillis,
ProPublica,
3 June 2025
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And for many, forgiveness might seem an inadequate response, given available options like anger, bitterness, hatred, revenge, retribution.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scarce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarce. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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