short-handed

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 was also hard to fill open jobs after the pandemic, and businesses don’t want to get caught short-handed again.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Lehkonen collected the loose puck and took it the length of the ice before deflecting a centering pass off Kempe’s skate and by Forsberg for a short-handed goal, his second score of the series.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, so forcing a team to play short-handed could compel remaining employees to find productivity hacks faster than they otherwise would have.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

The Houston Rockets, fueled by Alperen Sengun's triple-double and some timely baskets from superstar Kevin Durant, rallied to beat the short-handed NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder 112-106 on Saturday.

From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026

We got to the bedroom door in time to hear Grandpa say, “Best go on now, Miss Love. They short-handed at the store.”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns