shortfall

noun

short·​fall ˈshȯrt-ˌfȯl How to pronounce shortfall (audio)
: a failure to come up to expectation or need
a budget shortfall
also : the amount of such failure
a $2 million shortfall

Examples of shortfall in a Sentence

a shortfall in milk production
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.
That program was already facing a shortfall, and now the Trump administration is dismantling the Department of Education and its Office of Federal Student Aid. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2025 Since then, the Treasury Department has stopped paying into certain accounts, including a slew of federal worker pension and disability funds, to make up for the shortfall in money. Arkansas Online, 27 Mar. 2025 Plus, 63% of the IRS workforce is eligible to retire within six years, resulting in a massive staff shortfall in the years ahead. Cindy McGhee, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 Beyond that, Jones worries that Republicans are looking to young workers to address potential shortfalls in the workforce as Trump promises to deport millions of immigrants who are in the country illegally. Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shortfall

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shortfall was in 1895

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shortfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortfall. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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