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
Every year, the shortfall goes on a credit card that already carries a $385,000 balance.
—
Steve Booren, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
DeLano responded that lawmakers could use the two-year period to address any such shortfall.
—Alex Rozier Mississippi Today, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
School districts are already facing budget shortfalls and uncertainties due to enrollment declines.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
According to the nonpartisan research organization KFF, more than 190 rural hospitals have shut down between 2005 and early 2024 — about 10% of all rural hospitals in the country — because of budget shortfalls and related challenges.
—Windsor Johnston, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortfall
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Steve Booren, Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2026
DeLano responded that lawmakers could use the two-year period to address any such shortfall.
—Alex Rozier Mississippi Today, Arkansas Online, 14 Feb. 2026
School districts are already facing budget shortfalls and uncertainties due to enrollment declines.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
According to the nonpartisan research organization KFF, more than 190 rural hospitals have shut down between 2005 and early 2024 — about 10% of all rural hospitals in the country — because of budget shortfalls and related challenges.
—Windsor Johnston, NPR, 14 Feb. 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 16 Feb. 2026.
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