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

ˈshȯrt-ˌlist 

transitive verb

Examples of short list in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But Wembanyama is on the short list of MVP favorites as the league lurches toward the playoffs, a list that includes former NBA champions Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of OKC, Denver’s Nikola Jokic along with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Los Angeles’ Luka Doncic. —Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026

Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin and Team USA's Hilary Knight — on the short list of their sport's greatest players — will renew their Olympic rivalry one final time. —Sean Nevin, NBC news, 19 Feb. 2026

How Readers’ Choice Awards Voting Works In every category of the Allure Readers' Choice Awards, readers are invited to weigh in, selecting their favorites from a short list of 5 to 15 beauty products. —Allure Editors, Allure, 17 Feb. 2026

Moore also runs a heavily Democratic state and has ruled out running in the past, but his name keeps bubbling up on the short list. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 14 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for short list

• assist
• blacklist
• booklist
• checklist
• consist
• desist
• dismissed
• enlist
• exist
• insist
• oocyst
• persist