as in weaknesses
a defect in character
a wife who never tires of listing her husband's perceived shortcomings
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Recent Examples of shortcomings
But the attempt has revealed shortcomings and vulnerabilities that were waiting to be exploited—and can no longer be ignored.
—
Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
The third-year quarterback masked a number of the team’s roster deficiencies in his rookie season, but the combination of injuries, a tougher schedule and roster shortcomings derailed his second season.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
But there are also filmmakers who prize obsolescent technologies precisely for their apparent shortcomings.
—Dennis Lim, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Harris’ death underscored growing concerns about the risks of riding small, low-speed electric vehicles and the shortcomings of the user agreements riders have with the companies that rent them.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Backed by a raucous sellout crowd hungry for Orange County’s first playoff hockey since 2018, the Ducks overcame their season-long defensive shortcomings by outscoring the powerhouse Oilers even after Connor McDavid recorded his first points of the series.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
It was given a perfunctory update late last year to update its chip, but little effort was made to address any of its fundamental shortcomings, including the price.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
In his prime, the 6-9 Vucevic would have been an ideal complement to Adebayo, despite the limited footspeed and defensive shortcomings.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
At the time of the inspection in March 2024 the financial regulator found weaknesses in risk assessments, routines and customer due diligence, as well as shortcomings in ongoing follow-up of customer relationships and outsourcing, according to a statement on Thursday.
—Evelina Youcefi, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026
Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
The third-year quarterback masked a number of the team’s roster deficiencies in his rookie season, but the combination of injuries, a tougher schedule and roster shortcomings derailed his second season.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
But there are also filmmakers who prize obsolescent technologies precisely for their apparent shortcomings.
—Dennis Lim, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
Harris’ death underscored growing concerns about the risks of riding small, low-speed electric vehicles and the shortcomings of the user agreements riders have with the companies that rent them.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Backed by a raucous sellout crowd hungry for Orange County’s first playoff hockey since 2018, the Ducks overcame their season-long defensive shortcomings by outscoring the powerhouse Oilers even after Connor McDavid recorded his first points of the series.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
It was given a perfunctory update late last year to update its chip, but little effort was made to address any of its fundamental shortcomings, including the price.
—ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
In his prime, the 6-9 Vucevic would have been an ideal complement to Adebayo, despite the limited footspeed and defensive shortcomings.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
At the time of the inspection in March 2024 the financial regulator found weaknesses in risk assessments, routines and customer due diligence, as well as shortcomings in ongoing follow-up of customer relationships and outsourcing, according to a statement on Thursday.
—Evelina Youcefi, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortcomings
Noun
-
The actual severity of any shortcomings at OpenAI and how far any weaknesses could spread remain open questions, Yardeni said.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Different types of grass have different strengths and weaknesses.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This will mean that the US can produce the B-21 in numbers faster, but any undiscovered faults with the design could cause major headaches down the line.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
-
While not a precise scientific designation, a megaquake is generally considered a large seismic event placed at an eight or higher on the Richter scale that ruptures along major faults and can trigger further events like tsunamis.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are worse sins in the world.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Believers confess their sins to a priest, receive spiritual guidance and absolution and typically are required to make an act of contrition like saying specific prayers.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortcomings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortcomings. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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