as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a growing deficit in the number of hours devoted to sleep
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Recent Examples of deficit
In the semifinals of the NIT, Chattanooga defeated Loyola Chicago 80-73, overcoming a four-point halftime deficit in the process.
—
Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
After trailing by eight to 14 points for much of the second half, the Lakers cut their deficit to five when Reaves made a 3-pointer off an out-of-timeout play, with the Warriors leading by 121-116 with 35 seconds left.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2025
The company acknowledges substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern due to recurring losses and a working capital deficit.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 4 Apr. 2025
Newsom can’t give a tax break to every company doing business in California, particularly with the state deficit climbing.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficit
Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
After trailing by eight to 14 points for much of the second half, the Lakers cut their deficit to five when Reaves made a 3-pointer off an out-of-timeout play, with the Warriors leading by 121-116 with 35 seconds left.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2025
The company acknowledges substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern due to recurring losses and a working capital deficit.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 4 Apr. 2025
Newsom can’t give a tax break to every company doing business in California, particularly with the state deficit climbing.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficit
Noun
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In 2021, as automakers tried to ramp up production that had been curtailed in the first year of the pandemic, a shortage of parts, most notably computer chips, cut into car production.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
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Labor costs, in particular, have ballooned amid staffing shortages and wage hikes, with much of the value siphoned off by contract labor firms.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Still, the Mets have largely been able to overcome a lack of production at the bottom because of a strong bullpen.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2025
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In the European Union, where Temu hopes to further expand, regulators opened an investigation into the company’s practices and products, citing concern over lack of compliance with the Digital Services Act.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Early signs of magnesium deficiency include fatigue, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, and weakness.—
Johna Burdeos,
Health,
2 Apr. 2025
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Korsakoff syndrome is a type of dementia that usually occurs as a late-stage effect of thiamine deficiency, especially if Wernicke encephalopathy is not treated.—
Brigid Dwyer,
Verywell Health,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficit. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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