as in weaknesses
a defect in character
a wife who never tires of listing her husband's perceived shortcomings
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Recent Examples of shortcomings
Ultimately, Richardson would acknowledge the film’s shortcomings in his book.
—
Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Veterans have often been some of the harshest (and most clear-eyed) analysts of the military’s shortcomings.
—Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Super’s plan to turn the company around seeks to address long-standing shortcomings and identifies some more ambitious opportunities.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
The stock rout is a sign of the tense fears over AI automation’s potential to disrupt entire industries and especially those focused on knowledge work — despite the tech’s still considerable shortcomings.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Feb. 2026
Today’s top stories Mayor Bass and the fires Bass wanted key findings in a report about the Los Angeles Fire Department’s shortcomings removed or softened, sources told The Times.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Bass has consistently denied any role in altering the after-action report on the Palisades fire to minimize the city and fire department’s shortcomings.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 5 Feb. 2026
Mattison was excited about the possibility of helping the Dolphins solve their short-yardage shortcomings, a problem that had bedeviled them the previous two seasons.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
But finding a way to reimagine a roster to account for his strengths and shortcomings is a major undertaking and the list of realistic suitors is limited even before considering scheme and depth-chart implications.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Alexander Nazaryan, New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2026
Veterans have often been some of the harshest (and most clear-eyed) analysts of the military’s shortcomings.
—Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Super’s plan to turn the company around seeks to address long-standing shortcomings and identifies some more ambitious opportunities.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
The stock rout is a sign of the tense fears over AI automation’s potential to disrupt entire industries and especially those focused on knowledge work — despite the tech’s still considerable shortcomings.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Feb. 2026
Today’s top stories Mayor Bass and the fires Bass wanted key findings in a report about the Los Angeles Fire Department’s shortcomings removed or softened, sources told The Times.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Bass has consistently denied any role in altering the after-action report on the Palisades fire to minimize the city and fire department’s shortcomings.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 5 Feb. 2026
Mattison was excited about the possibility of helping the Dolphins solve their short-yardage shortcomings, a problem that had bedeviled them the previous two seasons.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2026
But finding a way to reimagine a roster to account for his strengths and shortcomings is a major undertaking and the list of realistic suitors is limited even before considering scheme and depth-chart implications.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortcomings
Noun
-
If your goal is to get at the truth, or at least our closest approximation of it at the present time, the way to do that is to be scrupulous and forthright about the strengths and weaknesses of every link in your chain of argument.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Per-room prices for hotel purchases fell in California primarily due to weaknesses in the Bay Area market, Atlas Hospitality Group reported in its annual survey of hotel sales activity.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These mini-seismic events are not considered true earthquakes because there is no movement along faults or tectonic plate boundaries.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
When the tectonic plates began to pull apart millions of years later, those ancient faults at their edges reawakened, reincarnated as transform faults.—
Evan Howell,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Most of the revelations in the files have not revealed journalistic sins, but have highlighted uncomfortably close relationships with New York media figures and a man who had been convicted of soliciting a minor.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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Yasmin, meanwhile, is still haunted by the sins of her father—a figure reminiscent of Robert Maxwell—yet seemingly doomed to enable the same kinds of offenses.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortcomings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortcomings. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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