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

Despite the passage of a temporary sales tax, Measure A, and job cuts earlier this year, the county is forecasting a $500 million shortfall in the 2027-28 fiscal year. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 9 May 2026

But while the shortfalls in reporting have been addressed, concerns still remain with actual vaccination rates for several district schools. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026

Earmarking tax revenue from Social Security to its trust fund is one fix proposed to prevent the 2033 shortfall. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026

Even as many neighbors complained about that shortfall, others had also asked the county to remove planned palm trees from a new central promenade on the site, which its designers acceded to. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shortfall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale