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 station is busy with efforts to deal with the immediate shortfall. Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 7 Aug. 2025 The lawsuit bolstered the appearance of budget shortfalls for the sprawling productions. Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2025 Presentations as far back as April 2024 showed a cascading budget shortfall growing to tens of millions of dollars by the end of the decade. Ella McCarthy, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025 Their calls to recoup funding come as schools face multimillion-dollar shortfalls in the budget year that began July 1 — and as kids struggle with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeffrey S. Solochek, Sun Sentinel, 31 July 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 14 Aug. 2025.

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