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
Mike drives Eddie hard in the gym and is blunt about his shortcomings, not to mention his view that Joanne is holding her son back.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
What begins as a story about systemic failures — the difficulty of childcare, the shortcomings of the foster system — contracts into an account of one woman’s trauma response.
—Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 June 2026
What is truly disgraceful is leveraging your skin color to remain employed while insisting that white privilege is responsible for your own shortcomings.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
The shortcomings — insufficient specificity, thin systemic risk analysis, bank-centric case studies — are significant but correctable.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Having witnessed the shortcomings of the public-school system firsthand as a teacher, Sarah now homeschools her children.
—Scott Warren, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
His shortcomings in Serie A were more down to poor management.
—Charlie Davies, New York Times, 13 June 2026
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
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
What begins as a story about systemic failures — the difficulty of childcare, the shortcomings of the foster system — contracts into an account of one woman’s trauma response.
—Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 June 2026
What is truly disgraceful is leveraging your skin color to remain employed while insisting that white privilege is responsible for your own shortcomings.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
The shortcomings — insufficient specificity, thin systemic risk analysis, bank-centric case studies — are significant but correctable.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
Having witnessed the shortcomings of the public-school system firsthand as a teacher, Sarah now homeschools her children.
—Scott Warren, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
His shortcomings in Serie A were more down to poor management.
—Charlie Davies, New York Times, 13 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortcomings
Noun
-
To get a better idea of the potential path Charlotte could take based on who may be available, The Charlotte Observer got the talent evaluator’s perspective on who the Hornets could pick and some of their strengths and weaknesses.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
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The Justice Department says the hackers used weaknesses in older routers to change DNS settings.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Scientists note that infrastructure built across active faults is especially vulnerable, as surface rupture can directly offset roads, buildings, and other structures that span the fault trace.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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Equipped with cameras and sensors, the robots can identify faults such as broken wires, worn components, and abnormal temperature changes that could signal potential failures, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP).—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
That relationship was based on sinners confessing their sins to this vicar.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
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The cult wants to live off the land and not rely on any technology in the apocalypse, and believes the Cordyceps brain infection was a punishment from God for the world’s sins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortcomings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortcomings. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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