shortly

adverb

short·​ly ˈshȯrt-lē 

1

a

: in a few words : briefly

b

: in an abrupt manner

2

a

: in a short time

we will be there shortly

b

: at a short interval

shortly after sunset

Synonyms of shortly

• briefly
• concisely
• in brief
• precisely

Examples of shortly in a Sentence

He left shortly after you did.

“I can't help you right now,” he said shortly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nearly 80% of likely voters say 14 statewide propositions and dense wording make the ballot overwhelming, shortly before mail-in voting begins for more than 23 million Californians. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

The full slate announcement for the shorts program will be issued shortly. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026

The first season of Becky and Miranda is set to start production shortly, with a treatment written for all seven episodes. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

The agenda packet, including the MOU, was made public shortly before the meeting began. — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing shortly

• shortly after

Rhymes for shortly

• courtly
• portly

Kids Definition

shortly

adverb

short·​ly ˈshȯrt-lē 

1

: in a few words : briefly

2

: in or within a short time : soon

will arrive shortly

shortly after sunset