as in deficiency
formal
a failure to get what is expected or needed
a shortfall in milk production profit shortfalls
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Recent Examples of shortfall
Social Security faces a shortfall as soon as 2032.
—
Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Before the war, the strait typically handled about 20 million barrels of crude oil and fuel products, although the shortfall has also been reduced as Gulf countries reroute supplies via pipelines that bypass the waterway.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
Democrats largely preferred to close the shortfall with tax increases, and Republicans preferred to close it through benefit reductions.
—Ben Ritz, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
DeSantis anticipated a chorus of opposition from Democrats and local officials, who have warned the dramatic shortfall in revenue will cut services.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortfall
Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Before the war, the strait typically handled about 20 million barrels of crude oil and fuel products, although the shortfall has also been reduced as Gulf countries reroute supplies via pipelines that bypass the waterway.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
Democrats largely preferred to close the shortfall with tax increases, and Republicans preferred to close it through benefit reductions.
—Ben Ritz, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
DeSantis anticipated a chorus of opposition from Democrats and local officials, who have warned the dramatic shortfall in revenue will cut services.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortfall
Noun
-
To counter this, the Eversolo Play includes Room Correction which can sample the sound produced by the Eversolo Play and then automatically adjusts the EQ or tone settings to compensate for any acoustic deficiencies.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Lisa knows staying inside is taking a toll on her family; with so much less time playing in the sun, her younger daughter was recently diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
After trailing by nearly 500 votes on election night, the deficit narrowed to 238 votes.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
-
To eliminate the future deficit, the district focused on discretionary spending.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortfall. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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