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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Recent Examples of shortages
Analysts partially credit the stability to a mature domestic biofuels industry that allows the country to withstand geopolitical shocks with minimal risk of fuel shortages.
—
ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
Aluminum prices hit a four‑year high as Iranian strikes on Middle Eastern producers stoke fears of supply shortages.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Cuba has for months been squeezed by an American ban on Venezuelan oil imports to the island, which has quickly spiraled into an energy crisis where blackouts and food shortages are common, and health care and transportation judder to a halt.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
High levels of student debt influence specialty selection and practice location decisions, contributing to persistent shortages in primary care and underserved communities.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2026
The payments follow weeks of disruption during the partial DHS shutdown, which left roughly 50,000 TSA officers working without pay and contributed to widespread airport delays, high absenteeism and staffing shortages.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The staffing shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically for travelers.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026
The shortages have also contributed to thousands of flight delays and cancellations.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
The Transportation Security Administration is facing staffing shortages due to weeks of unpaid federal workers, leading to long lines and delays nationwide.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026
Aluminum prices hit a four‑year high as Iranian strikes on Middle Eastern producers stoke fears of supply shortages.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026
Cuba has for months been squeezed by an American ban on Venezuelan oil imports to the island, which has quickly spiraled into an energy crisis where blackouts and food shortages are common, and health care and transportation judder to a halt.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
High levels of student debt influence specialty selection and practice location decisions, contributing to persistent shortages in primary care and underserved communities.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2026
The payments follow weeks of disruption during the partial DHS shutdown, which left roughly 50,000 TSA officers working without pay and contributed to widespread airport delays, high absenteeism and staffing shortages.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The staffing shortages have forced some airports to close checkpoints at times, with wait times swinging dramatically for travelers.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026
The shortages have also contributed to thousands of flight delays and cancellations.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
The Transportation Security Administration is facing staffing shortages due to weeks of unpaid federal workers, leading to long lines and delays nationwide.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortages
Noun
-
As of Wednesday, firearms dealers are required under state law to use scanners that pull the prospective purchaser’s name, date of birth and other details from the card’s magnetic strip, which the new design lacks — except if they are authorized otherwise.—
Madison Smalstig,
Sacbee.com,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Each provides amino acids that the other lacks, so eating them together gives you all the essential amino acids.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At Pebble Creek at Lake Mary, 85 apartment units were condemned due to life-threatening deficiencies, and at the Rialto Apartments near Sand Lake Road, nearly 400 residents were evacuated due to structural instability.—
Keegan A. Berry,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Common causes for both include stress, hormonal changes, and nutritional deficiencies.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is not surprising given the multibillion-dollar budget deficits that leave Marylanders shaking their heads, wondering what is happening in the governor’s office that is leaving their checking accounts under more and more pressure every month.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Celtics lead the four-game season series 3-0, having overcome 19- and 22-point deficits in two of those games.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Still, the financial strain continued and, by the fall, dozens of staff and prisoners were telling ProPublica about unusual scarcities in facilities across the country.—
Keri Blakinger,
ProPublica,
25 Feb. 2026
-
This is because climate change and ecological collapse are very likely to cause political fragmentation that nullifies legal and cultural precedents like abolition, and bring about agrarian and manufacturing crises and scarcities in which people are forced into labor.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shortages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortages. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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