shortchange

American  

[shawrt-chaynj] / ˈʃɔrtˈtʃeɪndʒ /

verb (used with object)

shortchanged, shortchanging

1. to give less than the correct change to.

2. to deal with unfairly or dishonestly, especially to cheat.

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Other Word Forms

• shortchanger
  noun

Etymology

Origin of shortchange

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Explanation

To shortchange is to give someone less than you owe them. If you hand over a five dollar bill for a one-dollar lemonade and get three dollars back, the lemonade seller shortchanged you. The useful word shortchange is an American English coinage from the 1880s. It comes from the money sense of the noun change, and the idea that someone has deliberately withheld some of the change they owe you, leaving you short. You can use shortchange even when you're not talking about cash: "Our math teacher promised a pizza party on the last day of school, but she really shortchanged us! All we got was a bag of pretzels."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shortchange shortchanged shortchanging

"You have insurance charges, floor charges, and various other levies that make production unsustainable," he told AFP, repeating allegations that contractors collude to keep prices low and "shortchange" producers.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

You don’t want to shortchange your future simply because you feel an urgent desire to retire now.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 5, 2026

But some economists and academics say that would shortchange taxpayers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025

“Conclave” Not to shortchange Ralph Fiennes’ tormented performance, but I’m ecstatic that director Edward Berger thought to include shots of him ripping into the papal dormitory’s pre-packaged toiletries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024

To make sure that workers at state farms do not shortchange the military, the army stations soldiers at all three thousand of them throughout the harvest season.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Monroe said the strikes announcement had left her feeling shortchanged by the teaching she had received during her three years in Nottingham.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

In these kinds of situations where family and finance are mixed up, somebody always ends up feeling shortchanged, and no one will ever admit to being wrong.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 19, 2026

But it also reminds us that people who care keep those of us shortchanged by its promise limping along.

From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2026

In a class action complaint filed this month in Delaware Chancery Court, hedge funds and other large Skechers investors accused the company and 3G Capital of arranging a non-independent deal that shortchanged minority shareholders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2025

I decide not even to complain about having my first paycheck withheld or the ways we’re shortchanged every day.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

This rote response raises the question: Are investors who do this shortchanging themselves?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

It is also unlikely to allay the emotional or financial shortchanging experienced by your stepsiblings.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 26, 2026

Financial planners say they are waiting for more information to better understand the implications, but issued a note of caution about Americans shortchanging their retirement-savings goals in an effort to purchase a home.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

It earned positive reviews in China but has also drawn some criticism for its detailed portrayal of the Cultural Revolution and for allegedly shortchanging the Chinese themes in the original work.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2024

“Nelson,” he said, “you are shortchanging me. You are giving Gaet-sewe more tobacco than me.”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela