shortfall
noun
short·fall
| \ ˈshȯrt-ˌfȯl
\
\
Definition of shortfall
: 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
But the reformer image can be tough to project when candidates faced with a small-donation shortfall turn to intimate gatherings organized by corporate titans, or partners in big law firms, with considerable business before the federal government. — Evan Halper, Los Angeles Times, "Small donors don’t cut it for many Democratic candidates. Back to the rich," 4 Sep. 2019 Mothers in particular are sacrificing their careers to make up for the shortfall. — Anna Bahney, CNN, "When child care costs more than a mortgage," 29 Aug. 2019 The transit service has blamed the shortfall on stagnant financial support from the state and federal governments. — Elliot Hughes, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "'This bus is a godsend': Proposed MCTS route cuts would boost riders' expenses, and double or triple commute times," 28 Aug. 2019 Assistance from the United Kingdom was necessary to make up for the shortfall in technicians and officers. — Raghvendra Singh, Quartz India, "What Britain gained by partitioning the subcontinent into India and Pakistan," 9 Aug. 2019 The funding shortfall, which policy makers have seen coming for years, didn’t merit a mention in the Democratic presidential debates in June. — Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "Invisible no more: Social Security will soon slide into insolvency," 20 July 2019 Facing that shortfall, Iran instead invested heavily into its ballistic missile program. — Jon Gambrell, USA TODAY, "Iran's foreign minister says talks on ballistic missiles with US possible," 16 July 2019 Orange County, which has often tapped transportation reserves to make up for Lynx shortfalls, won’t tap the piggy bank anymore, Petersen said. — Stephen Hudak, orlandosentinel.com, "Proposed Orange County budget includes money for more deputies, more firefighters — and raises for full-time county workers making less than $15 an hour," 15 July 2019 If in about 15 years the Social Security system lessens our benefits by [the shortfall] that’s around $8,000 yearly for us. — Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, "No, that’s not the government calling threatening to ‘suspend’ your Social Security number.," 8 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shortfall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for shortfall
shortfall
noun
English Language Learners Definition of shortfall
formal
: a failure to get what is expected or needed
also
: the amount of such a failure
See the full definition for shortfall in the English Language Learners Dictionary