make up for a deficit

USAGE SUMMARY

"make up for a deficit" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a deficiency — usually a financial one — that needs to be offset in some way. For example: "My company will need to take steps to make up for its budget deficit this quarter."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

As every racing sailor knows, a surplus of the former can make up for a deficit in the latter.

The New York Times - Sports

He adds that while it is unlikely the bylaws would permit a "retroactive" special assessment, they do allow a board to impose an assessment upon present unit owners to make up for a deficit in the funds needed for a project.

The New York Times

No amount of happiness can make up for a deficit of virtue, and no amount of virtue despite its unconditioned goodness can make up for a deficit of happiness.

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Legal Aid is asking the Council to add $12 million to the mayor's allocation -- the amount it says is necessary to make up for a $2 million deficit from this year and meet current caseload demands.

The New York Times

A central disagreement between the Bloomberg administration and the Council in the efforts to make up for a projected deficit of nearly $5 billion for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 has been over whether or not to increase revenue by raising taxes.

The New York Times

Reckless as these words might seem, they fit perfectly with Trump's core belief that his ingenuity as a deal-maker can more than make up for any deficit in knowledge or insight.

The New Yorker

Later, Raúl announced new incentives to lure retired teachers back to the classroom to make up for an islandwide deficit of 8,000 teachers, most of whom have sought other, higher-paying jobs, in Cuba or have left the island.

The New York Times

The Council and the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg still appear to be far apart on how to make up for an anticipated deficit of more than $5 billion, despite tomorrow's deadline to adopt a budget.

The New York Times

Incumbent Mark Udall has been counting on his ground game to make up for a very slight deficit in the polling.

Huffington Post

**February 7 "Caught up in the state's delay on payments and the decline of local property values, Oswego school officials are proposing a plan to make up for a projected $5.5 million deficit".

Huffington Post

The Met argued that the change wasn't really big news — it is just a suggested price, after all, intended to help the museum make up for an annual operating deficit that has averaged $3 million in recent years.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In financial contexts, "make up for a deficit" is often used to describe strategies to balance budgets or cover losses. For instance, "The company implemented cost-cutting measures to make up for a deficit caused by lower revenues."

Common error

A common mistake is to use "make up for a deficit" when you actually mean to address a surplus. Remember, a deficit is a shortage, while a surplus is an excess. Ensure you're accurately representing the financial or quantitative state you're describing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "make up for a deficit" functions as a compensatory expression. It indicates an action taken to offset or correct a deficiency, often in financial or resource-related contexts. Ludwig AI confirms this usage, highlighting examples where skills, strategies, or resources compensate for a lack.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

8%

Wiki

6%

Reference

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "make up for a deficit" is a versatile and grammatically sound expression used to describe actions taken to compensate for a deficiency, often in financial or resource-related contexts. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage and provides examples across various domains. While the phrase is commonly used, it's crucial to avoid confusing "deficit" with "surplus". Alternatives like "compensate for a shortfall" or "offset a deficiency" can be used for variety. Overall, "make up for a deficit" is a reliable way to convey the idea of counterbalancing a lack in both formal and informal communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

compensate for a shortfall

Uses 'compensate' and 'shortfall' to convey a similar meaning with different wording.

offset a deficiency

Replaces "make up for" with "offset" and "deficit" with "deficiency" to provide an alternative expression.

counterbalance a weakness

Employs "counterbalance" and "weakness" to suggest a way of mitigating a negative attribute.

cover a shortage

Uses 'cover' to imply providing what is lacking, and "shortage" in place of "deficit".

rectify an inadequacy

Substitutes "make up for" with "rectify" and "deficit" with "inadequacy", indicating the correction of a deficiency.

ameliorate an imperfection

Replaces the initial phrase with "ameliorate" and the latter with "imperfection", meaning to improve something that isn't perfect.

mitigate a flaw

Uses 'mitigate' and 'flaw' to convey reducing the severity of an imperfection.

neutralize an imbalance

Employs 'neutralize' and 'imbalance' to suggest restoring equilibrium.

correct an insufficiency

Uses "correct" and "insufficiency" to denote fixing what is not sufficient.

remedy a gap

Substitutes with "remedy" and "gap" to mean filling something that is missing.

FAQs

What does "make up for a deficit" mean?

The phrase "make up for a deficit" means to compensate for a shortage or deficiency in something, typically referring to a financial shortfall but also applicable to other areas like skills or resources.

How can I use "make up for a deficit" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe how one thing compensates for another, such as "His enthusiasm helped to "compensate for a lack" of experience" or "The government raised taxes to "cover the shortfall" in revenue."

What are some alternatives to "make up for a deficit"?

Alternatives include "compensate for a shortfall", "offset a deficiency", or "cover a shortage", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "make up for a surplus"?

No, it is incorrect. The phrase "make up for" is used to compensate for a lack or shortage (a deficit), not an excess (a surplus). To handle a surplus, you might use phrases like "manage a surplus" or "allocate extra funds".