shortages

noun

plural of shortage
as in lacks
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number there was a troubling shortage of supplies for the troops overseas this year

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shortages Connor explains that blood shortages can force doctors to make difficult decisions. — Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026 The same brain-drain has affected Venezuelan schools, which suffered serious teacher shortages before the earthquake. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 30 June 2026 Those Ukrainian attacks have caused severe fuel shortages and put pressure on President Vladimir Putin. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 After years of strained public services, supply and food shortages and poverty, nearly 8 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquakes hit. — Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 6 July 2026 That challenge has become increasingly important as schools face growing expectations around student outcomes while dealing with staffing shortages, budget pressures, and rising demands on educators’ time. — Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 6 July 2026 Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Europe’s defense industry remains fragmented and constrained by supply chains, bureaucracy, labor shortages and years of underinvestment. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 6 July 2026 Citing Cuban government figures, the United Nations reported that around 100,000 patients are waiting for surgeries on the island due to the electricity cuts and shortages of medical supplies and drugs. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026 On-the-record conversations will explore how AI, economic uncertainty, and shifting employee expectations are reshaping organizations, from talent shortages and workforce trust to AI adoption and organizational resilience. — Semafor Events, semafor.com, 6 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortages
  1. lacks
  2. deficiencies
  3. deficits
  4. scarcities
Noun
  • In terms of athletic forwards with size, this is a body type that the Spurs’ roster lacks in numbers.
    — John Hollinger, New York Times, 25 June 2026
  • Nothing beats a big package or a pipe to compensate for decorations, makeup, and other lacks.
    — Joyce Mansour, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of lacks
Noun
  • The Lakers spent the first days of free agency addressing their shooting deficiencies.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • It can be caused by pests, high temperatures, and mineral deficiencies or excess.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
Definition of deficiencies
Noun
  • California previously faced tens of billions of dollars in budget deficits, forcing painful cuts such as a rollback last year on a promise to provide free healthcare to low-income immigrants without legal status.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • Even though California is flush with tax revenue, agency analysts still warn that the state could face large deficits in the future.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of deficits
Noun
  • Combine these two scarcities and watch how PooCravian information proliferates with no end in sight.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the island’s population, almost all of which lives below the poverty line according to some estimates, continues to face essential scarcities, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of scarcities

Browse Nearby Words

shortage
shortages
short ballot
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Cite this Entry

“Shortages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortages. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of shortages for Spanish Speakers

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