shortfall

noun

short·​fall ˈshȯrt-ˌfȯl How to pronounce shortfall (audio)
Synonyms of shortfallnext
: 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
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.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s government is pushing a divisive conscription bill that would entrench the existing exemption for ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory military service, when the Israeli army publicly acknowledges a shortfall of 15,000 soldiers during wartime. Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026 That's more funding than Amtrak has received in its history and still leaves a shortfall of roughly $90 billion. Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026 That complexity means there isn’t a single thread to pull that would untangle the annual spending deficit the state has faced, analysts wrote in a January memo on the budget shortfall. Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026 Executives cited several reasons for the shortfall including disruption in the Middle East and rising oil prices, which could boost its costs or hurt consumer demand. Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shortfall

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shortfall was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Shortfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortfall. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.

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