short of
Idioms-
Having an inadequate supply of, as in We're short of cash right now . [Late 1600s] Also see fall short of .
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Less than, inferior to, as in Nothing short of her best effort was needed to make the team . [Mid-1500s]
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Other than, without resorting to, as in Short of yelling, I had no other way of getting his attention .
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See stop short , def. 3.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It may also extend far enough to meet a yellow band running across the wing, or stop short of it.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026
He probably won't be short of offers despite his conduct – and I expect Nvidia's rivals can't believe their luck that their formidable rival has taken himself out of the game.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
Since a trade agreement struck a year ago in the South Korean city of Busan, Beijing has fallen short of fulfilling its commitments on agricultural purchases and rare earth exports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
That’s because newly elected senators will still be in office in 2032, when the program’s trust fund is expected to start running short of money to fully cover benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
Time and time again, presidents escalated—but stopped short of giving the generals what they said they needed.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
