shortfall

noun

short·​fall ˈshȯrt-ˌfȯl How to pronounce shortfall (audio)
: 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.
The unexpected shortfall affected thousands of school districts, which served millions of students, in all 50 states. Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025 Former President Joe Biden technically reduced the deficit, but only after beginning his presidency with a $3 trillion shortfall in 2021 to fund his disastrously inflationary American Rescue Plan. Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2025 The unexpected shortfall affected thousands of school districts, which served millions of students, in all fifty states. Andy Kroll, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025 Milwaukee County leadership was left in the dark while Milwaukee County Transit System officials worried behind the scenes of a looming financial shortfall. Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shortfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortfall. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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