as in lack
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there was a troubling shortage of supplies for the troops overseas this year
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Recent Examples of shortage
The shortages and the resulting backlog prompted Worrell to cull the number of nonarrest cases forwarded to her office, with a policy laying out which crimes merit review regardless of whether a suspect was taken into custody: homicides, trafficking, child abuse, animal cruelty, among others.
—
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
The federal government, for its part, loosened importation rules and granted extensions to expiration dates to offer some relief from the dire shortage.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2025
The ongoing matcha shortage is pushing some tea drinkers to try an alternative: hojicha.
—Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 20 Aug. 2025
The shortage of soldiers -- estimated at 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers -- and the lack of Haredi recruitment from the ultra-orthodox community are pushing the IDF to exhaust every other possibility to replenish its ranks, the senior IDF official said.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortage
Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
The federal government, for its part, loosened importation rules and granted extensions to expiration dates to offer some relief from the dire shortage.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2025
The ongoing matcha shortage is pushing some tea drinkers to try an alternative: hojicha.
—Abby Norman, Verywell Health, 20 Aug. 2025
The shortage of soldiers -- estimated at 10,000 to 12,000 soldiers -- and the lack of Haredi recruitment from the ultra-orthodox community are pushing the IDF to exhaust every other possibility to replenish its ranks, the senior IDF official said.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortage
Noun
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Another driver of instability is the lack of details about the trade agreements that have so far been reached.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
17 Aug. 2025
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The lack of progress at the Trump-Putin summit raised questions about what comes next.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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If your hair loss is down to certain nutrient deficiencies, adopting a healthy diet for your hair can help.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
20 Aug. 2025
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Luce tells the story of Brzezinski prodding Carter ahead of the debate to push Ford on the deficiencies of his (and Kissinger’s) détente with Moscow and attention to human rights issues.—
Niall Ferguson,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While banks prey on the false scarcity by demanding an even higher premium on loans, research shows that for Cook County is being shortchanged in terms of state funding.—
Stacy Davis Gates,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Aug. 2025
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Velasquez, the planning group leader, said scarcity of street parking has been the No. 1 concern from neighbors about the new projects.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Anxiety behaviors were unchanged, meaning the social and communication deficits weren’t due to general anxiety.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Aug. 2025
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Lindor erased a 1-0 deficit with a solo home run against Luis Castillo in the first, then capped a two-run rally in the second with a go-ahead RBI single.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shortage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortage. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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