the short term

noun

: a short period of time at the beginning of something

It will meet our needs, at least for the short term.

His plan has advantages over the short term.

—usually used in the phrase in the short term

It won't make any difference in the short term.

These changes may improve profits in the short term, but they are going to cost us money in the long term.

Examples of the short term in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the short term, investors got jittery on Wednesday, sending AI data center stocks tumbling. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026

On the flip side, if Republicans are able to retain control of one or both chambers of Congress, some on Wall Street anticipate a rally for stocks in the short term. — Justin Papp,caleigh Keating,garrett Downs,kevin Breuninger,dan Mangan, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026

In the short term, Germany will almost certainly see layoffs, buyouts, and perhaps strikes. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2026

In general, acute stress raises heart rates and blood pressure readings in the short term. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 30 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for the short term

• disaffirm
• ectoderm
• endoderm
• endosperm
• interfirm
• isotherm
• mesoderm
• periderm
• reaffirm
• affirm
• bookworm
• budworm