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
The learning deficits are hard to measure, because testing protocols have changed in the past three years.
—
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
Cheap money for years to come made bigger deficits affordable.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Real yields are still high, fiscal deficits remain historically large, and Fed rhetoric has only tentatively shifted toward easing.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Yet Lemaire, his coaching staff and a bunch of expansion castoffs competed valiantly, and in 2003, just the third year of the franchise, rallied from a pair of 3-1 series deficits to shock the hockey world and advance to the Western Conference final.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
To instill fiscal discipline, the CRFB proposed establishing a fiscal commission tasked with reducing deficits to 3% of GDP, an ambitious but necessary goal given the current debt trajectory.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
The keto diet restored these deficits, particularly in female APOE4 mice, normalizing most metabolites to APOE3 levels.
—New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2025
The Phillies and Cubs look to avoid 2-0 deficits in their series.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
In this approach, BESS handles rapid fluctuations within milliseconds, absorbing short-term surpluses or deficits.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2025
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
Cheap money for years to come made bigger deficits affordable.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Real yields are still high, fiscal deficits remain historically large, and Fed rhetoric has only tentatively shifted toward easing.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Yet Lemaire, his coaching staff and a bunch of expansion castoffs competed valiantly, and in 2003, just the third year of the franchise, rallied from a pair of 3-1 series deficits to shock the hockey world and advance to the Western Conference final.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
To instill fiscal discipline, the CRFB proposed establishing a fiscal commission tasked with reducing deficits to 3% of GDP, an ambitious but necessary goal given the current debt trajectory.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
The keto diet restored these deficits, particularly in female APOE4 mice, normalizing most metabolites to APOE3 levels.
—New Atlas, 9 Oct. 2025
The Phillies and Cubs look to avoid 2-0 deficits in their series.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
In this approach, BESS handles rapid fluctuations within milliseconds, absorbing short-term surpluses or deficits.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficits
Noun
-
Food shortages would mean the disappearance of luxuries and the rationing of staples, sapping public morale.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
-
For rural patients, travel is often an obstacle, and workforce shortages make consistent follow-up difficult.—
Scott R. Schell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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 has allowed the Dodgers to hide their deficiencies in the bullpen – and ask less of their offense.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
23 Oct. 2025
-
People with severe deficiencies may require intravenous (IV) magnesium or potassium given in a healthcare setting.—
Brittany Lubeck,
Verywell Health,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficits. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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