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 public funding may not be siphoned out of library budgets, but shortfalls have to be covered somehow.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Mir argues that shortfall open up space for private capital, adding that 70% of hospital bed in Malaysia are funded by the corporate sector.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Social Security faces a shortfall as soon as 2032.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
The oil shortfall caused by this crisis is around 10 million barrels a day, roughly equivalent to how much demand dropped during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortfall
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Mir argues that shortfall open up space for private capital, adding that 70% of hospital bed in Malaysia are funded by the corporate sector.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Social Security faces a shortfall as soon as 2032.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
The oil shortfall caused by this crisis is around 10 million barrels a day, roughly equivalent to how much demand dropped during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortfall
Cite this Entry
“Shortfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortfall. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
