Crossword Genius

Brief period in deficit (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

shortage

'deficit' is the definition.
(I know that deficit can be written as shortage)

'brief period' is the wordplay.
'brief' becomes 'short' (synonyms).
'period' becomes 'age' (age is a kind of period).
'short'+'age'='SHORTAGE'

'in' is the link.

(Other definitions for shortage that I've seen before include "Horse tag (anag.)" , "Deficit" , "famine" , "Insufficiency" , "Her goats (anag)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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