SHORTAGE Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

shortage

noun

ˈshȯr-tij

Definition of shortage

as in lack

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 shortage Seagate and Western Digital are big year-to-date winners in the memory and storage shortage trade. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 And yet, despite a crisis of power outages, severe fuel shortages and dramatic price spikes, life in Cuba goes on. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Local officials and school leaders have linked the shortage of family housing to declining enrollment in the Davis Joint Unified School District, which is weighing school closures. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Thompson said these decisions are a give-and-take for schools facing money troubles and teacher shortages, and there are often no perfect options. — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shortage

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortage

Noun

Nearly all its arrangements hew to a standard radio-pop format, and in the record’s back half this lack of imagination becomes tiresome.

— Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Wednesday’s filing marks the latest escalation in the legal fight over conditions at the facility and the government’s lack of compliance with the court’s directives.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of lack

Noun

Silver found that prisoners remained exposed to grave threats of harm and suffering because of systematic deficiencies in their healthcare.

— Jacques Billeaud, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
After many picked the Rays to finish last in the AL East, Cash maximized the talent on his team and found ways to win, even with some clear roster deficiencies.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of deficiency

Noun

Some may leave Kabul altogether, but water scarcity is common in many parts of Afghanistan.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
What’s Happening The clearest consumer breakout came in August 2023, when Trader Joe’s frozen kimbap sold out nationally after social-media amplification and in-store scarcity.

— Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of scarcity

Browse Nearby Words

short

shortage

shortages

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Style

“Shortage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortage. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shortage

noun

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