1
as in briefly
in a few words the sudden closing of the restaurant was announced only with a shortly worded sign: "Out of Business"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in soon
at or within a short time the meeting will begin shortly, so don't go too far away to find a bathroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of shortly He was involved shortly thereafter in drafting Payton. —
Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026 The April 25 crash, which involved a Beech F33A aircraft, took place shortly before noon in a suburb of Minneapolis, the Federal Aviation Administration said. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026 The infant died shortly after birth. —Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026 At Saturday night's press dinner, Donald and Melania were sitting onstage shortly after the start of the dinner when live footage showed Secret Service agents entering the ballroom and quickly escorting the president out of the room. —Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shortly
Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026 The April 25 crash, which involved a Beech F33A aircraft, took place shortly before noon in a suburb of Minneapolis, the Federal Aviation Administration said. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026 The infant died shortly after birth. —Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026 At Saturday night's press dinner, Donald and Melania were sitting onstage shortly after the start of the dinner when live footage showed Secret Service agents entering the ballroom and quickly escorting the president out of the room. —Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shortly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortly
Adverb
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Trump was dispatched there briefly after the incident Saturday night.— Collin Binkley, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
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Those cheers — for the opposing team in Atlanta — grew even louder 30 seconds later, when Karl-Anthony Towns briefly checked out of the game, met by a standing ovation from Knicks fans scattered across the arena.— Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The sale, which is expected to be officially announced soon, is subject to approval by 75% of the 29 other team owners.— Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
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Roenicke never had a chance, taking over a team that would soon go on a salary dump that purged Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, along with 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner David Price.— Jimmy Golen, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Knowing what to do if a power surge damages your appliances and electronics is essential for protecting your home, preventing future issues, and reporting damages clearly and concisely to your insurance company and the local electric company.— Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026
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Keep it short and sweet Responding concisely and confidently will assuage any lingering concerns an employer might have about your work history, McGoff says.— Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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But there are also filmmakers who prize obsolescent technologies precisely for their apparent shortcomings.— Dennis Lim, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
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That’s more than $500 extra annually for the typical family’s grocery bill — money that stays in working-class pockets when markets work freely — precisely while large volume retailers often provide the only real relief in this post-Biden inflation hangover.— Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/shortly. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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