understaffed

adjective

un·​der·​staffed ˌən-dər-ˈstaft How to pronounce understaffed (audio)
: inadequately staffed
understaffing
ˌən-dər-ˈsta-fiŋ How to pronounce understaffed (audio)
noun

Examples of understaffed in a Sentence

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.
Now his arm is broken, and his B&B is understaffed. — Ashlee Conour, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026 Hospitals are damaged, understaffed, undersupplied, and overwhelmed with injured patients, as survivors continue to be pulled from the rubble and taken in for medical care. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026 Larry Webb, leader of a resident group called the Coastal Coalition, said license plate readers are crucial to the city’s understaffed Police Department. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 June 2026 Some officials acknowledge—in private—that politically motivated purges have left the country’s law-enforcement and intelligence agencies understaffed and more prone to mistakes. — Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for understaffed

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of understaffed was in 1891

Rhymes for understaffed

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Browse Nearby Words

undersquare
understaffed
understand
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Cite this Entry

“Understaffed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/understaffed. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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