short of

preposition

: other than
especially : of a lesser degree than
had few options short of replacing the motor

Examples of short of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The two sides settled in October with Elliott winning five Southwest board seats, short of control, and Jordan remaining in the top job. Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2025 Ukraine’s troops are on the back foot against Russia along several parts of the long front line, the military is short of experienced soldiers and officials are doubtful that once Trump retakes office, military aid will continue to arrive at anything like the current rate. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025 Upon their return to Berlin, the couple hail a taxi and the driver turns out to be Nila’s uncle — a coincidence that falls just short of believable. Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025 That would be Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old pitching prodigy from Japan who once came one inning short of hurling back-to-back perfect games, a feat never accomplished by any other pitcher in MLB or in the Japanese pro leagues. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for short of 

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short of was in 1560

Dictionary Entries Near short of

Cite this Entry

“Short of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20of. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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