SHORTAGE Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

shortage

noun

ˈshȯr-tij

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of shortage In Port-au-Prince, where chronic electricity shortages and gang violence have disrupted daily life for years, residents have been preparing communal viewing areas so supporters can watch the match together. —

Reuters, NBC news, 13 June 2026 George Santos, Dinesh D’Souza, Michael Flynn, Lil Wayne, Conrad Black, Roger Stone, Rod Blagojevich—there has been no shortage of talent eager to engage with the clemency process, and desperate petitioners would likely be willing to compete. —

Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026 Add in concerns about heat, commercialization—my son is among those grumbling about water breaks during games, even when temperatures are mild—and the sheer size of the tournament, and there appears to be no shortage of reasons to complain. —

Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026 And because this is the Ocean State, there’s no shortage of ways to get out on the water, whether via kayak or paddleboard around Wickford Harbor and nearby Rabbit Island. —

Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for shortage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortage

Noun

Detainees at the facility have reported a lack of access to lawyers and poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that do not flush, floors flooding with fecal waste and insects everywhere.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
In today’s food environment, addiction to UPFs should not be written off as a lack of personal willpower, said Forman, who researches ultraprocessed food addiction.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 17 June 2026