as in cheated
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
charged that the used-car dealer had been shorting customers for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 shorted
Those who shorted the provocation phase got crushed by the pivot.
—
Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
While several private credit firms, like Apollo, spotted the potential problems at First Brands and even shorted the credit before the company filed for bankruptcy, others failed to notice the red flags.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2025
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
Paramount stock is more heavily shorted by far than shares in its media peers, which can increase volatility.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
While several private credit firms, like Apollo, spotted the potential problems at First Brands and even shorted the credit before the company filed for bankruptcy, others failed to notice the red flags.
—Robert Frank, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2025
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
Paramount stock is more heavily shorted by far than shares in its media peers, which can increase volatility.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shorted
Verb
-
To sum up the series finale’s key moments, in the college timeline, Bree (Cat Missal), in a rage of anger after finding out that Lucy (Grace Van Patten) was the person Evan (Branden Cook) had cheated with, releases the tape of Lucy admitting to lying about being raped.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Ustyugov was also a part of the Russian relay team that won the gold medal in the Sochi Olympics in 2014 and was found to have cheated ahead of that season as well.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Las Vegas Raiders plucked away offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and hired him as their head coach.—
Andrew Destin,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The Angel Hold Hair Styling Cream gives expensive-looking waves and smooth, frizz-free hair that looks like you just got plucked up from a Greek vacation.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Small businesses and farmers got squeezed.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Vendors built on per-seat licensing and static tools are seeing their economics squeezed as AI systems compress development timelines and reduce maintenance overhead.—
David Stout,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His attacker, the man in black, was hustled off the stage.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
As the lights came up, Taylor had already been hustled out, as had Arnaud.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Cowboys have also reiterated that the loss of Jourdan Lewis stung them this season.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Further down the supply chain, former Army Ranger Patrick Montgomery, who runs KC Cattle Company, located outside Kansas City, Missouri, has been stung by high prices.—
Enda Curran,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
They are typically screwed into the snow and often cemented in by water that turns to ice.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Smaller version of the quakes at home Think of a plastic water bottle filled to the rim with the cap firmly screwed on.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Like that film and the rest of her oeuvre, her latest is another tender tale of a protagonist stuck between two worlds, a hallmark motif fitting for a director who splits her time between documentary and fiction filmmaking.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The rescue took place in the area of Branford Point where crews responded on the report of a goose possibly in distress and stuck in the ice, according to the Branford Professional Firefighters IAFF 2533.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shorted. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
