as in shortages
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 deficits
State spending has outgrown its tax revenues and in recent years the budget has faced structural deficits in the tens of billions of dollars.
—
Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The wealthy nation, heavily dependent on oil revenue, has been dogged by deficits over the past decade, with 80% of the state budget spent on subsidies and salaries.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
On a macro level, projections show big city budget deficits for the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1, an outlook that may require Mamdani and Menin to find new revenue or make cuts in order to balance the spending plan.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Economists and health‑policy experts counter that even aggressive savings in prescription drugs and billing reform would only touch part of what is driving a $38 trillion debt built on structural deficits, rising interest costs and political gridlock.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
At the federal level, the response has been to run annual budget deficits and fill the gap by borrowing vast sums of money.
—Austin Sarat, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Extreme deficits may lead to obsessive food tracking, anxiety around eating, or disordered eating patterns.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 6 Jan. 2026
As deficits mounted, authorities ordered the Central Bank of Venezuela to print money, a move that rendered the local Bolívar currency effectively worthless, said José Guerra, an economist who spent two decades at the Central Bank and served in the National Assembly from 2015 to 2021.
—Jorge Valencia, NPR, 5 Jan. 2026
The question has extra resonance at a time when local deficits and federal cuts are forcing leaders to make tough choices about which programs stay afloat.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The wealthy nation, heavily dependent on oil revenue, has been dogged by deficits over the past decade, with 80% of the state budget spent on subsidies and salaries.
—Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 7 Jan. 2026
On a macro level, projections show big city budget deficits for the coming fiscal year, which starts July 1, an outlook that may require Mamdani and Menin to find new revenue or make cuts in order to balance the spending plan.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Economists and health‑policy experts counter that even aggressive savings in prescription drugs and billing reform would only touch part of what is driving a $38 trillion debt built on structural deficits, rising interest costs and political gridlock.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
At the federal level, the response has been to run annual budget deficits and fill the gap by borrowing vast sums of money.
—Austin Sarat, Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Extreme deficits may lead to obsessive food tracking, anxiety around eating, or disordered eating patterns.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 6 Jan. 2026
As deficits mounted, authorities ordered the Central Bank of Venezuela to print money, a move that rendered the local Bolívar currency effectively worthless, said José Guerra, an economist who spent two decades at the Central Bank and served in the National Assembly from 2015 to 2021.
—Jorge Valencia, NPR, 5 Jan. 2026
The question has extra resonance at a time when local deficits and federal cuts are forcing leaders to make tough choices about which programs stay afloat.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficits
Noun
-
At the same time, a currency collapsing under international sanctions, water shortages and recurring power outages have sharpened a sense of crisis across the country.—
Roxana Saberi,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
-
At El Tejaban Mexican Grill in Richfield, sales have dropped by as much as 50%, forcing reduced hours and staffing shortages.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
So Vegas has to hope that their forward depth is strong enough to balance out where their star power lacks, relative to other contenders.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
This absence — of God, of love, of plain community spirit — is a metaphor for the whole parish, where everyone is defined by their own lacks and deficiencies, the weaknesses that cause Wicks to despise them and vow to bring down them all.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That may come down to the performance of the Bears defense, which has relied on a league-best 33 turnovers to make up for other deficiencies.—
Hank Gola,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
From vitamin D deficiencies to stumbling circadian rhythms, all these extra dark hours can cause major sleep disruptors.—
Hunter Boyce,
AJC.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deficits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficits. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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