as in cheated
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
charged that the used-car dealer had been shorting customers for years
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Recent Examples of shorted
Still, the trades raised some eyebrows because whoever purchased a large amount of stock futures and sold or shorted crude futures at that moment made a lot of money just minutes later.
—
Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
Online and in congressional hearings, Tenev was accused of aiding hedge funds that had shorted GameStop, at amateur traders’ expense.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Crowley alleged that her department had been shorted money needed to improve fire responses.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026
Those who shorted the provocation phase got crushed by the pivot.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The initial claim from Nebraska was scant on details about how much water is being shorted to Nebraska users.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Electric telegraph lines across Europe and the Americas shorted out.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Due to its sharp increase of votes for Tarrant County College, all the other taxing entities were shorted the number of votes they are entitled to, Barnes said.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
The water shorted his air conditioning unit.
—Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
Yun Li, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
Online and in congressional hearings, Tenev was accused of aiding hedge funds that had shorted GameStop, at amateur traders’ expense.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Crowley alleged that her department had been shorted money needed to improve fire responses.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026
Those who shorted the provocation phase got crushed by the pivot.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The initial claim from Nebraska was scant on details about how much water is being shorted to Nebraska users.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Electric telegraph lines across Europe and the Americas shorted out.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Due to its sharp increase of votes for Tarrant County College, all the other taxing entities were shorted the number of votes they are entitled to, Barnes said.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
The water shorted his air conditioning unit.
—Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shorted
Verb
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However, instead of wrapping up storylines neatly, the series' final episode created more questions, and left many feeling cheated of a firm resolution.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
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There’s a rule and Saints cheated in the play-offs, a separate competition.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
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The aftermath of one of Otto’s decisions gives Beever as Léna some rich material to work through, but strands Machado-Graner to an extent, including in a short subplot that feels like it was plucked from an entirely different screenplay.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
-
Pamela Anderson’s progression from over-plucked and busty to fresh-faced and gracefully aging on the red carpet is evidence of culture’s exhaustion with excess.—
Sarah Wang,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
Verb
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As more families feel squeezed by rising costs and growing debt, credit counseling might offer a path forward.—
Joshua Sidorowicz,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
-
Apply rooting hormone if desired, then wrap the area tightly with damp sphagnum moss that has been soaked for several hours and squeezed to remove any extra moisture.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Napoleon Solo hustled to first place at the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, coming out on top against 13 other horses in what is the race's biggest field in 15 years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
Dominguez hustled back to the wall and made a spectacular catch, but crashed incredibly hard into the wall.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The loss stung, but Stankiewicz and his players have no choice but to focus on the journey ahead.—
Joaquin Ruiz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
-
The Sacramento Bee gathered information on what kinds of jellyfish you can be found on the coast, whether their sting is harmful to humans and what to do if you get stung.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Anybody who has too long a résumé is screwed.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
21 May 2026
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If Miranda Priestly can get thrown in steerage, we’re all screwed.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In other words, neither your skin nor your undergarments will ever get snagged or stuck when pulling the skirt on.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
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In a particularly heartbreaking moment, TL falls into a swimming pool and is unable to get himself out, stuck in the water for hours until his son helps him.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shorted. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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