short story
noun
: an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot
Examples of short story in a Sentence
her very first short story was accepted for publication in a local journal
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2011, researchers at UC San Diego conducted a study where participants were given short stories to read.
—
Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Based on a short story by Annie Proulx, the film debuted to beaucoup critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 25 Sep. 2025
The editor of my first novel, Michael Kandel, who was Lem’s translator, surprised me by mentioning that Frank O’Connor was his favorite short story writer.
—Jane Ciabattari
september 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
In the autumn of his life, Henry James went back to many of his novels and short stories, submitting them to revisions sufficiently far-reaching to keep scholars happily squabbling forever.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for short story
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Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Based on a short story by Annie Proulx, the film debuted to beaucoup critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 25 Sep. 2025
The editor of my first novel, Michael Kandel, who was Lem’s translator, surprised me by mentioning that Frank O’Connor was his favorite short story writer.
—Jane Ciabattari
september 25, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
In the autumn of his life, Henry James went back to many of his novels and short stories, submitting them to revisions sufficiently far-reaching to keep scholars happily squabbling forever.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for short story
Cite this Entry
“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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