understaffed

un·der·staffed | \ ˌən-dər-ˈstaft

How to pronounce understaffed (audio)

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Definition of understaffed

: inadequately staffed

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Examples of understaffed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Buildings were understaffed as workers stayed home. — Judith Graham, CNN, "Seniors in affordable housing vulnerable to coronavirus," 25 June 2020 Elections in other state since the coronavirus outbreak have been marred by understaffed polling places, long lines and fears that infection will spread among those forced to vote in person. — John Wildermuth, SFChronicle.com, "Bill to send a mail ballot to every active California voter goes to Newsom," 18 June 2020 But the Phoenix Police Department is highly understaffed in comparison to the increasing size of Phoenix and its population of 1.66 million, said PLEA secretary Frank Marino. — Jessica Boehm, azcentral, "Phoenix police officers ask for support from city leaders, say department is understaffed," 12 June 2020 As a result, for-profit homes, which are motivated to keep costs low and profits high, tend to be understaffed and, on average, provide lower-quality care compared with public and nonprofit homes. — Anna Amirkhanyan, The Conversation, "Why some nursing homes are better than others at protecting residents and staff from COVID-19," 10 June 2020 But investigating comes with its own challenges, as the agency has been understaffed for years. — Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Oversight board chairman: Five 'serious' complaints against Cincinnati police from recent protests," 9 June 2020 The state’s team for ride inspections is still understaffed after layoffs last month. — cleveland, "Ohio GOP senators push for more local control over school reopenings: Capitol Letter," 9 June 2020 At one polling station, a staffer was reportedly being trained on the spot; other stations were reportedly understaffed. — TheWeek, "Bernie Sanders backs New York's Jamaal Bowman against Eliot Engel in rare move against Democratic incumbent," 9 June 2020 Deitch expressed concerns that correctional officers may be pulled from virus hotbeds that are already chronically understaffed, and said these tactical officers could worsen tensions at protests. — Paul Cobler, Dallas News, "Riot forces at White House include tactical teams wearing insignia from Texas federal prisons," 5 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'understaffed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

29 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Understaffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/understaffed. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

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