as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a growing deficit in the number of hours devoted to sleep
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Recent Examples of deficit
Based on tectonic strain rates of about 0.008 to 0.03 inches (0.2 to 0.8 millimeters) per year, researchers estimate the fault has built up about 20 feet (6 meters) of slip deficit since its last major earthquake.
—
Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Records show there were warning signs months before Milwaukee County Transit System's deficit was brought to light.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The rookie departed with a 1-0 deficit, but the Rockies plated two in the seventh off Mikolas to chase him from the game.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
That might contribute to the long-term national housing shortage — America’s housing deficit has grown to nearly 4.7 million homes, according to Zillow.
—Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficit
Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Records show there were warning signs months before Milwaukee County Transit System's deficit was brought to light.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The rookie departed with a 1-0 deficit, but the Rockies plated two in the seventh off Mikolas to chase him from the game.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
That might contribute to the long-term national housing shortage — America’s housing deficit has grown to nearly 4.7 million homes, according to Zillow.
—Cory Smith, Baltimore Sun, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficit
Noun
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The idea for Draft One came from staffing shortages that Axon’s police department clients were facing, Isner said.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
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Companies are experimenting with deep-sea tech to produce cheaper fresh water From Cape Town to Tehran to Lima to Phoenix, dozens of cities across the globe have experienced water shortages recently.—
Vanessa Bates Ramirez,
Scientific American,
11 Aug. 2025
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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Feeding those intrusive thoughts was a lack of precedent.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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If not carefully planned, ADF may increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
11 Aug. 2025
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Chinook salmon were facing yet another stressor: a deficiency in thiamine, or vitamin B1, key for energy production and juvenile growth.—
Calista Oetama,
Sacbee.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficit. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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