shortfall

noun

short·​fall ˈshȯrt-ˌfȯl 

: a failure to come up to expectation or need

a budget shortfall

also : the amount of such failure

a $2 million shortfall

Examples of shortfall in a Sentence

a shortfall in milk production

Recent Examples on the Web

The mayor has been vocal about the budget's need to tackle a $100 million budget shortfall, address the demands of inflation and pension costs, maintain service levels, the sunsetting of federal aid and the city's need to withdraw $35 million from its reserves. —Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 7 Nov. 2025

Several state and local governments have been stepping in to help fill funding shortfalls for food banks and pantries. —Tovia Smith, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025

Among the top issues on the agenda will the WGA pension and health plans, which are facing a potential shortfall that will need to be addressed. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025

So that means that both the FAA and airlines have to react to those staffing shortfalls rather than planning for them. —Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shortfall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale