as in lack
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there was a troubling shortage of supplies for the troops overseas this year
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shortage
Just over 50 years ago, the oil shock of 1973 triggered a staggering spike in gasoline prices in the United States, Europe, and beyond, straining economies and causing drastic fuel shortages.
—
Fatih Birol, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Downstream neighbors fear water shortages Ethiopia’s downstream neighbors, however, have watched the project advance with dread since construction began in 2011.
—CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
He is expected to request that detainees be allowed re-entry in the future and raise concerns over the shortage of work visas.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Business leaders have complained this has stifled investment and had other negative effects for the economy, which is suffering from a worker shortage and sanctions.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortage
Fatih Birol, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Downstream neighbors fear water shortages Ethiopia’s downstream neighbors, however, have watched the project advance with dread since construction began in 2011.
—CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
He is expected to request that detainees be allowed re-entry in the future and raise concerns over the shortage of work visas.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Business leaders have complained this has stifled investment and had other negative effects for the economy, which is suffering from a worker shortage and sanctions.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortage
Noun
-
Trump’s encouragement of Walker was enough to spur him into the race, though Republicans as a whole were hesitant, given Walker’s lack of experience and standing as an unknown quantity among GOP voters.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Traditional data lakes can store raw data at scale but lack quality controls, while warehouses enforce structure but struggle with unstructured or fast changing data.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Maasai had vitamin A and C deficiencies due to meat and dairy exclusivity.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
B vitamins have been reported to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and depression associated with vitamin B12 deficiency.—
Alessandra Signorelli,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With 74% of school districts reporting difficulty filling teaching positions for the 2024-25 school year, and science positions among the most likely to go unfilled, Monsour's observation about the scarcity of STEM teachers reflects a national crisis.—
Talia Milgrom-Elcott,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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And inequality, corruption, and scarcity were rampant.—
Celeste A. Wallander,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Buffeted by rising costs, declining enrollment and state aid that has not kept pace with inflation, the district started the year with a $51 million budget deficit and is spending down reserves and cutting into programs to close the gap.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
16 Sep. 2025
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While winning the Super Bowl is incredibly difficult, even making the playoffs can be a daunting task when starting from a deficit.—
Mark LaSota,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shortage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortage. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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