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.
But a shortfall of already-thin air traffic control staffing this week had prompted the FAA to slow or halt arrivals in Burbank, California, and Nashville, Tennessee, among others. Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025 Now, Pakistan will have to import as many as 7 million bales to bridge the shortfall, according to the Karachi Cotton Brokers Forum. Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Oct. 2025 Reports of the staffing shortfalls came hours after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there has been a slight increase in sick calls since the government shutdown began on Wednesday. Jay Blackman, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2025 Advocates are asking Lamont to consider using it to help offset the federal shortfall. The Npr Network, NPR, 6 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2025.

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