shortchange

[ shawrt-cheynj ]

verb (used with object)

, short·changed, short·chang·ing.

1. to give less than the correct change to.
2. to deal with unfairly or dishonestly, especially to cheat.

Other Words From

• shortchanger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of shortchange¹

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

Unless Congress acts, those who can afford to pay the most will continue to pay nothing, or relatively little, shortchanging urgent priorities.

From Time

School finance experts have argued the math shortchanges districts that serve a higher percentage of low-income and at-risk students, who are more expensive to teach.

From ProPublica

Beneficiaries also said they didn’t know Congress was shortchanging the trust all these years.

From ProPublica

Duque says it spends nearly $1 billion a year on the migrants and has been shortchanged by donor nations.

From Time

Critics say the highway expansion proposal would cause too much environmental damage, shortchange mass transit and encourage auto-dependent sprawl development.

From Washington Post

Like all other government entities in the U.S., Puerto Rico has many people to shortchange before it will stiff its bondholders.

From The Daily Beast

Did they really think he would diss Obama, or shortchange him—or do anything but support him wholeheartedly?

From The Daily Beast