as in weaknesses
a defect in character
a wife who never tires of listing her husband's perceived shortcomings
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Recent Examples of shortcomings
In all these books, animals serve as mirrors, reflecting our personal and societal shortcomings and shame, our hubris, anxiety, and moral failings.
—
Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
The North Korean players’ physical aptitude was clear, but coaches were aware of their technical and tactical shortcomings.
—Andrew McNicol, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
The Knicks escaped with a 105-104 win over the Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday, an outcome that once again revealed the Knicks’ resiliency and Wembanyama’s shortcomings.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
More surprising than the shortcomings themselves is how rarely they are openly acknowledged or questioned by either patients or providers.
—Nisha Narayanan, STAT, 5 June 2026
That’s the only conclusion to draw from Smesko’s refusing every possible out for the shortcomings.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The outdoor shot suffers similar shortcomings.
—Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026
Data doesn’t show whole picture The data has its shortcomings.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
Supporters say the bill was designed to address shortcomings identified after the Evergreen shooting.
—Jamie Leary, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
The North Korean players’ physical aptitude was clear, but coaches were aware of their technical and tactical shortcomings.
—Andrew McNicol, CNN Money, 7 June 2026
The Knicks escaped with a 105-104 win over the Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Friday, an outcome that once again revealed the Knicks’ resiliency and Wembanyama’s shortcomings.
—Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
More surprising than the shortcomings themselves is how rarely they are openly acknowledged or questioned by either patients or providers.
—Nisha Narayanan, STAT, 5 June 2026
That’s the only conclusion to draw from Smesko’s refusing every possible out for the shortcomings.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 5 June 2026
The outdoor shot suffers similar shortcomings.
—Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026
Data doesn’t show whole picture The data has its shortcomings.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026
Supporters say the bill was designed to address shortcomings identified after the Evergreen shooting.
—Jamie Leary, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortcomings
Noun
-
Bedoya offers insights on this year’s biggest contenders, plus gives his favorites, sleepers and a look at Team USA’s strengths and weaknesses heading into the Cup.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
The note, which was published by Xbox on Xbox Wire, does not address potential layoffs but instead focuses on specific weaknesses within the division, including a 3% accountability margin for the fiscal year.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
California has over 500 active faults, but scientists cannot predict when earthquakes will occur.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
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For all his faults, Beckham was named one of the top 100 Giants players of all time by an independent committee, according to the team.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
These days, most red-letter sins in NCAA sports come in gray, and more often invisible ink.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
-
The length exacerbates all the rest of the series' sins, including a lack of emotional depth, gratuitous suffering and violence, long stretches of boring, listless plotting and extraneous characters.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortcomings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortcomings. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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