as in shortages
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there is a deficiency of fresh food in the diet of many of the working poor
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Recent Examples of deficiencies
But his athletic deficiencies could be tough to overcome.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Britt Eastland said Camp Mystic would correct those deficiencies soon and has made several other safety changes.
—Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Micronutrients and gut support (vitamin D, iron, B vitamins, probiotics) help prevent deficiencies, protect bone health, and maintain a balanced gut microbiome.
—Sara Hoffman, Verywell Health, 28 Apr. 2026
Certainly, this 3-1 hole extends beyond Duren’s deficiencies.
—Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Texas regulators flagged dozens of deficiencies in Camp Mystic's emergency plan, saying missing flood maps, unclear evacuation procedures and undefined staff roles could hinder responses during disasters or medical emergencies.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The war also revealed deficiencies in Russia’s conventional ground and air forces.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
An inspector also noted physical deficiencies like equipment in need of repair.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
Davids, a Democrat whose district includes part of Wyandotte County and all of Johnson County, Anderson County, Franklin County and Miami County, went on to outline her concerns about potential operational deficiencies that contributed to the sluggish alert times.
—Matthew Kelly
april 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Britt Eastland said Camp Mystic would correct those deficiencies soon and has made several other safety changes.
—Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Micronutrients and gut support (vitamin D, iron, B vitamins, probiotics) help prevent deficiencies, protect bone health, and maintain a balanced gut microbiome.
—Sara Hoffman, Verywell Health, 28 Apr. 2026
Certainly, this 3-1 hole extends beyond Duren’s deficiencies.
—Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Texas regulators flagged dozens of deficiencies in Camp Mystic's emergency plan, saying missing flood maps, unclear evacuation procedures and undefined staff roles could hinder responses during disasters or medical emergencies.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
The war also revealed deficiencies in Russia’s conventional ground and air forces.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
An inspector also noted physical deficiencies like equipment in need of repair.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
Davids, a Democrat whose district includes part of Wyandotte County and all of Johnson County, Anderson County, Franklin County and Miami County, went on to outline her concerns about potential operational deficiencies that contributed to the sluggish alert times.
—Matthew Kelly
april 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficiencies
Noun
-
But the shortages of Patriot defense systems remain a concern amid reports that the Pentagon is considering diverting advanced defensive weapons earmarked for Ukraine to the Middle East.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In 2022, my final year in office, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent fertilizer prices surging several-fold, and farmers across Central America—and around the world—saw production costs spike almost overnight, raising fears of food shortages.—
Carlos Alvarado Quesada,
Fortune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dipping into 2027 draft capital to make a fifth-round selection in a draft that Schneider has repeatedly said lacks depth is a surprising move.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Industrial composting sites—big, regionalized facilities that can churn out large volumes of organic waste—are designed to speed up the composting process using heat, moisture, and carbon control, things that a simple countertop compost container lacks.—
Francesca Krempa,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Skepticism about Shakespeare having actually written the plays attributed to him has persisted for more than a century, originated by lack of documentation and inadequacies in the historical record and perpetuated by cultural fascination.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The Lamont administration invited to the signing ceremony Hammersley and others who have been critical of Connecticut’s longstanding inadequacies in education funding, which have been the subject of litigation over decades, as well as the current governor’s fiscal moderation.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deficiencies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficiencies. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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