as in shortages
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a growing deficit in the number of hours devoted to sleep
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Recent Examples of deficits
Outside of the United States, global government bonds sold off as jitters around government deficits and interest rates rippled through markets.
—
Sean Conlon,john Melloy,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
The most notable pick came against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2014 AFC Divisional round after the Patriots clawed back from a pair of 14-point deficits.
—Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
People with schizophrenia can have cognitive deficits such as difficulty creating and following a plan, processing complicated information, or using information to reach appropriate conclusions, Weinberger said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Gold often does well at times of international tension, inflation, or big government deficits.
—John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The funds also allow for an outdoor activity trip to The Forge Lemont Quarries for special education students with pragmatic language or social skills deficits who are enrolled in the social communication resource course at Andrew High School in Tinley Park.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The deficits are bulging because Americans spend more than this nation produces domestically.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, the district may shut down more than a dozen of its 54 schools as enrollment drops (26% in a decade), budget deficits grow and buildings sit underused.
—Chrissy Suttles, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Certain districts are facing tremendous deficits going into the upcoming school year, and part of tightening the financial ship unfortunately has to be the elimination of jobs.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
Sean Conlon,john Melloy,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
The most notable pick came against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2014 AFC Divisional round after the Patriots clawed back from a pair of 14-point deficits.
—Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
People with schizophrenia can have cognitive deficits such as difficulty creating and following a plan, processing complicated information, or using information to reach appropriate conclusions, Weinberger said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
Gold often does well at times of international tension, inflation, or big government deficits.
—John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
The funds also allow for an outdoor activity trip to The Forge Lemont Quarries for special education students with pragmatic language or social skills deficits who are enrolled in the social communication resource course at Andrew High School in Tinley Park.
—Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The deficits are bulging because Americans spend more than this nation produces domestically.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, the district may shut down more than a dozen of its 54 schools as enrollment drops (26% in a decade), budget deficits grow and buildings sit underused.
—Chrissy Suttles, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Certain districts are facing tremendous deficits going into the upcoming school year, and part of tightening the financial ship unfortunately has to be the elimination of jobs.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficits
Noun
-
According to an August report from the Office of Inspector General, the watchdog arm of the Department of Veterans Affairs, all 139 Veterans Health Administration facilities in the country have reported severe occupational shortages, a 50% increase from last year.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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The shortages have plagued the workforce for many years now, educators have told ABC News, with many of them citing strict time demands, persistent behavioral issues and lack of administrative support, among other obstacles.—
Arthur Jones II,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But Davies’s film has a patience and lightness of touch that Scorsese’s lacks, as well as a note-perfect lead in Gillian Anderson.—
Elle Carroll,
Vulture,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In contrast, focusing on weaknesses traps people in a cycle of fixing deficiencies; over time, this limits performance by missing opportunities to generate truly forward-looking solutions.—
Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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In addition to amassing millions of dollars in debt, the four facilities also racked up nearly 384 violations for health and safety deficiencies in the last three years.—
Steven Martinez,
jsonline.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficits. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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