in short supply

Idioms  

1. Less than is needed, lacking. For example, Skilled operators were in short supply, or The hotels are all full, and beds are in short supply. [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

“A range of memory products is now in short supply and may be in that state for a while longer,” he said.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

The trucks are in short supply because aluminum, the metal used to make their bodies, is in short supply—and sharply more expensive than in years past.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

The four astronauts of Artemis II say their mission gave the world a sense of hope and unity at a time when both feel in short supply.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Certain bacteria produce methane as they break down organic material, but this only happens when phosphate, an essential nutrient, is in short supply.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

Fuller understood that there are two routes to power in America—money and people—and dollars were in short supply in the neighborhoods he was trying to organize.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• deficient
• limited
• rare
• scant
• scanty
• sparse
• sporadic