as in lack
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there was a troubling shortage of supplies for the troops overseas this year
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Recent Examples of shortage
Worsening the global shortage, China—a major fertilizer producer—has banned exports, creating additional pricing pressures.
—
Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 7 June 2026
There is a huge shortage of organs available for transplantation — in the US, over 100,000 people are awaiting transplants, and over 4,700 die waiting every year — and researchers hope that pig organs can improve supply and save lives.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 June 2026
The courses included no shortage of nods to Sicilian tradition, with cannolini and cassatine served alongside gourmet dishes.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 7 June 2026
That has led to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortage
Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 7 June 2026
There is a huge shortage of organs available for transplantation — in the US, over 100,000 people are awaiting transplants, and over 4,700 die waiting every year — and researchers hope that pig organs can improve supply and save lives.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 June 2026
The courses included no shortage of nods to Sicilian tradition, with cannolini and cassatine served alongside gourmet dishes.
—Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 7 June 2026
That has led to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island.
—Arkansas Online, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortage
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortage
Noun
-
Silva said the single most alarming aspect of the report was the lack of information available to emergency responders.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The Mexican team’s lack of elite club experience, however, is obvious and could be a problem.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
From a defensive standpoint, each element would be a plus-defender with the exception of Powell, which should make this lineup much easier to mask the deficiencies of a negative-defender, such as the ones with Herro.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
6 June 2026
-
Research suggests that some nutrient deficiencies are more common in people with diabetes.—
Brianna Tobritzhofer,
Health,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
It was always wrapped around scarcity—access to high-quality data, advanced analytics and real-time decision-making wasn’t always available.—
Ivan Guzenko,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
But lower-profile group-stage matches in large NFL stadiums have been harder to fill, especially with ticket prices remaining high, on par with Super Bowl-level scarcity.—
Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortage. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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