short of

Idioms  

1. Having an inadequate supply of, as in We're short of cash right now . [Late 1600s] Also see fall short of .

2. Less than, inferior to, as in Nothing short of her best effort was needed to make the team . [Mid-1500s]

3. Other than, without resorting to, as in Short of yelling, I had no other way of getting his attention .

4. See stop short , def. 3.

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Example Sentences

They also agreed that GM would pay a higher rate for parts if demand fell short of projections.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kane's potential absence is an immediate concern, leaving Tuchel short of viable alternatives when he needs them most, especially given these two toothless performances without him.

From BBC

Although Sophia's family receives some support, Darren says it falls far short of what is needed.

From BBC

On an adjusted basis, the company recorded earnings of $1.53 a share, short of the $2.20 expected by analysts polled by FactSet.

From The Wall Street Journal

Biogen ended 2025 with roughly $3.8 billion in cash and short-term investments—enough to anchor the Apellis deal, but well short of what a larger blockbuster acquisition would require.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• deficient
• faulty
• inadequate
• incomplete
• meager
• poor
• scant
• scarce
• unsatisfactory