shortchange

verb

short·​change ˈshȯrt-ˈchānj How to pronounce shortchange (audio)
shortchanged; shortchanging; shortchanges

transitive verb

1
: to give less than the correct amount of change to
2
: to deprive of or give less than something due : cheat
was shortchanged out of a promotion
shortchanger noun

Examples of shortchange in a Sentence

The cashier shortchanged me. I gave her 10 dollars to pay for an $8.95 book, and she only gave me a dollar back. The band shortchanged its fans by playing for only 30 minutes.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Decades later, Jones was awarded $9.4 million after a Los Angeles jury determined he’d been shortchanged millions in royalties by Jackson’s estate. Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 But despite the delays, his budget request would keep overall school funding to the level required in the state constitution — meaning no return to the budget stabilization factor, an adjustment that’s been used to shortchange education to pay for other priorities. Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 1 Nov. 2024 Lauper’s setlist doesn’t shortchange on the hits, but half of the fun of the show is her off-the-cuff banter, delivered in that indelible, no B.S. Brooklyn fashion. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 31 Oct. 2024 Simple choices from yesterday (staying up too late, shortchanging yourself on sleep, worrying about a tough work situation) are all major energy-draining activities that can easily spill into the next day. Elizabeth Freedman, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shortchange 

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shortchange was in 1903

Dictionary Entries Near shortchange

Cite this Entry

“Shortchange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortchange. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

shortchange

verb
short·​change -ˈchānj How to pronounce shortchange (audio)
1
: to give less than the correct amount of change to
2
: to give less than due : cheat

More from Merriam-Webster on shortchange

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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