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 package extended the belt-tightening path South Africa has been on since 2018, when President Cyril Ramaphosa took over a fiscally strained by ballooning budget shortfalls, rising budget shortfalls and a cascade of credit rating cuts. —Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026

As of February, the district expects a budget shortfall of approximately $21 million for the 2026-27 school year. —Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026

Although the state’s Department of Finance forecasts a lower deficit of $25 billion, a shortfall in that range will wipe out the remaining $19 billion in rainy-day reserves. —Jim Doti, Oc Register, 8 Mar. 2026

Milpitas anticipates facing a multi-million dollar shortfall over the next five years. —Devan Patel, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026

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