short of

preposition

: other than

especially : of a lesser degree than

had few options short of replacing the motor

Examples of short of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But yes, this has fallen far short of expectation amid this small sample size. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

On a pivotal drive, Jackson registered a sack, while forcing a fumble, spun down the receiver short of the first-down marker on 3rd-and-16 and forced a turnover on downs with a tackle for loss, with the Gators trailing 17-3. — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

With 85% of ballots counted, the right-wing bloc of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a slight lead over the main opposition bloc, led by Gadi Eisenkot, but was still short of a majority after Tuesday's election. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Preliminary results show Benjamin Netanyahu’s party ahead but short of a majority, while former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc trails and faces a difficult path to power. — Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for short of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove