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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deficit
The north’s deficits are growing, albeit from a lower base, while the south’s are shrinking.
—
Semafor Events, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Then, after Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a two-point conversion to trim a 15-point deficit to seven, the defense did its part.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Included were a comeback from a 6-1 deficit against Valhalla and a golden-goal win over Carlsbad in extended overtime.
—Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
Getting to the bottom of dysfunction with paratransit services that contributed to the deficit.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficit
Semafor Events, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Then, after Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a two-point conversion to trim a 15-point deficit to seven, the defense did its part.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Included were a comeback from a 6-1 deficit against Valhalla and a golden-goal win over Carlsbad in extended overtime.
—Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2025
Getting to the bottom of dysfunction with paratransit services that contributed to the deficit.
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficit
Noun
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When staffing shortages occur, the FAA will reduce the flow of air traffic to maintain safety.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Flights are being delayed and cancelled across the country because of airport staffing shortages.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Despite his lack of coaching experience at the MLB level, Vitello was named manager of the San Francisco Giants last month.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Part of the reason why there are so few of these conversations about podcasting is a general lack of criticism for narrative audio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Mike Vrabel has breathed life into the New England Patriots, guiding them to a 7-2 start while riding a six-game winning streak despite fielding a roster that still has its fair share of deficiencies.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Opponents raised concerns about the cost of new construction and long-term debt, arguing that renovations could have addressed the library’s deficiencies.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficit. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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