supply chain
noun
plural supply chains
: the chain of processes, businesses, etc. by which a commodity is produced and distributed : the companies, materials, and systems involved in manufacturing and delivering goods
The pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of the global supply chain—that's the usually invisible pathway of manufacturing, transportation and logistics that gets goods from where they are manufactured, mined or grown to where they are going. At the end of the chain is another company or a consumer who has paid for the finished product.—
Peter S. Goodman
Peter S. GoodmanEveryday life in the United States is acutely dependent on the perpetual motion of the supply chain, in which food and medicine and furniture and clothing all compete for many of the same logistical resources. … [W]hen a finite supply of packaging can't keep up with demand, when there aren't enough longshoremen or truck drivers or postal workers, when a container ship gets wedged sideways in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes—the effects ripple outward for weeks or months, emptying shelves and raising prices in ways that can seem random. All of a sudden, you can't buy kettlebells or canned seltzer.—Amanda Mull
Amanda MullExamples of supply chain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The breach disrupted food logistics operations, delayed deliveries and highlighted the fragility of the national food supply chain.
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Elsewhere in the supply chain, both UPS and FedEx are undergoing major cost-savings initiatives that involve a mass automation push within their warehouses, with the former cutting 20,000 jobs this year.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 July 2025
But Beijing has threatened to retaliate against countries that strike trade deals with the U.S. that exclude China from supply chains.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 11 July 2025
Derived from textile waste, the new material offers 50 percent lower carbon emissions than virgin polyester, and will be introduced into the supply chain for products like apparel.
—Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for supply chain
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Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Elsewhere in the supply chain, both UPS and FedEx are undergoing major cost-savings initiatives that involve a mass automation push within their warehouses, with the former cutting 20,000 jobs this year.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 11 July 2025
But Beijing has threatened to retaliate against countries that strike trade deals with the U.S. that exclude China from supply chains.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 11 July 2025
Derived from textile waste, the new material offers 50 percent lower carbon emissions than virgin polyester, and will be introduced into the supply chain for products like apparel.
—Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for supply chain
Cite this Entry
“Supply chain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supply%20chain. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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