short list

noun

: a limited list of important items or individuals
especially : a list of candidates for final consideration (as for a position or a prize)
short-list transitive verb

Examples of short list in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Billboard has gotten in on the speculation, with everyone from Swift to Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, Drake, BTS, Bay area legends Green Day and Metallica and Jay-Z making our short list. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2025 On Thursday, Feinsand listed the Blue Jays on a short list of possible suitors for Houston Astros two-time All-Star Framber Valdez this winter. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025 Next Level then uses proprietary software and extensive market research to narrow hundreds of possibilities into a short list of two to five top matches. Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025 The senator shared similar data out of Worcester, and for a short list of fare-free pilot program participating MBTA routes. Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for short list

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short list was in 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Short list.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20list. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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