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

Crucially, Khosla’s essay stops well short of predicting governments will actually adopt such fixes. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 July 2026

After winning four consecutive NFC South titles, the Buccaneers fell just short of another repeat last season despite finishing 8-9, losing out on a tiebreaker to the Carolina Panthers. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Carson Beck led Miami to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, where the Hurricanes fell just short of winning their first title since the 2001 season, and went on to be a third-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 27 July 2026

The more conservative option is to lay up short of the bunkering, leaving a comfortable wedge from inside 100 yards and an excellent opportunity to convert a birdie. — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 27 July 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