The term 'drought-stricken' refers to an area that is experiencing a prolonged period of dryness due to lack of precipitation. This can be described by the crossword solutions of DRY (3 letters), ARID (4 letters), SERE (4 letters), and BONEDRY (7 letters). DRY indicates a lack of moisture, while ARID implies a desert-like environment with little or no vegetation. SERE is a synonym for dryness, and BONEDRY is an extreme form of dryness. All of these words together paint a picture of an area that is suffering from a severe drought.