He left shortly after you did.
“I can't help you right now,” he said shortly.
Recent Examples on the WebThe National Weather Service issued the tornado watch shortly before 3 p.m. for parts of the Kansas City forecast area, including seven counties in Kansas and 36 counties in Missouri.—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2024 Omar Sy, a Cannes juror, posted a social media message shortly before the festival started, calling for a ceasefire in the region.—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for shortly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shortly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of shortly was
before the 12th century
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