as in lacks
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 shortages
American officials also said Beijing would address rare earth shortages, although this was not mentioned in the corresponding statement from China.
—
Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 18 May 2026
Remember the pandemic-era chip shortages, which led to empty car lots, appliance backorders and factory shutdowns?
—Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
This has forced oil buyers to burn through stockpiles and take other emergency measures to manage global fuel shortages.
—USA Today, 18 May 2026
While Beijing has agreed to postpone the implementation of some of its sweeping controls on rare earths in October, industries have continued to struggle with supply shortages.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
As part of the discussions, Beijing recently agreed to address American concerns over shortages of critical mineral supplies.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
Nonetheless, around 2 million Gaza residents are still living with severe shortages of housing, food and medicine.
—Suzan Fraser, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
While investors have been trading on hopes that the Iran ceasefire will remain intact, there is little sign that the oil trade will return to normal soon, forcing them to reckon with the reality of worsening shortages and an imminent tipping point ahead.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Like a show of resistance, there was a renaissance in full-length skirts, despite shortages in materials.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 18 May 2026
Remember the pandemic-era chip shortages, which led to empty car lots, appliance backorders and factory shutdowns?
—Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
This has forced oil buyers to burn through stockpiles and take other emergency measures to manage global fuel shortages.
—USA Today, 18 May 2026
While Beijing has agreed to postpone the implementation of some of its sweeping controls on rare earths in October, industries have continued to struggle with supply shortages.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
As part of the discussions, Beijing recently agreed to address American concerns over shortages of critical mineral supplies.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
Nonetheless, around 2 million Gaza residents are still living with severe shortages of housing, food and medicine.
—Suzan Fraser, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
While investors have been trading on hopes that the Iran ceasefire will remain intact, there is little sign that the oil trade will return to normal soon, forcing them to reckon with the reality of worsening shortages and an imminent tipping point ahead.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Like a show of resistance, there was a renaissance in full-length skirts, despite shortages in materials.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortages
Noun
-
Ford’s freedom or constraints, his prejudices or lacks, gauge his moment and ours.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Dipping into 2027 draft capital to make a fifth-round selection in a draft that Schneider has repeatedly said lacks depth is a surprising move.—
Michael-Shawn Dugar,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Potassium or iron deficiencies may also contribute to browning, especially if the tree looks weak overall.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
-
Following last year’s Louvre heist, a new report released by a French parliamentary commission on May 13 sheds light on glaring security deficiencies within the country’s cultural institutions.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Written off by some as past his prime, the 29-year-old twice recovered from 2-0 deficits, against France’s Felix Lebrun in the semifinals and Harimoto in the first game of the finals, to earn the nickname the ‘King of the Comeback’.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Oklahoma City faced its first fourth-quarter deficits of the entire playoffs in Game 4 as the Lakers repeatedly refused to fold.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Combine these two scarcities and watch how PooCravian information proliferates with no end in sight.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the island’s population, almost all of which lives below the poverty line according to some estimates, continues to face essential scarcities, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortages. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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