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.
Further, there are funding shortfalls. Wendy Coschignano-Ford, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026 If that federal funding does not materialize, Maryland taxpayers will be left covering the shortfall through the state’s general fund. J.b. Jennings, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2026 These sources of funding now cover about a quarter of the agency’s current costs, resulting in a massive budgetary shortfall, according to the agency. Noe Padilla, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026 Meanwhile, Mamdani has blamed the previous administration for any budget shortfalls. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 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 25 Feb. 2026.

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