as in concisely
in a few words
the beleaguered mayor curtly answered all questions with a simple "No comment"
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Recent Examples of curtly
The Yangs were called in and curtly told the judgment was being overturned, their lawsuit dismissed without trial.
—
Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtly
Adverb
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Practice answering concisely and confidently in your own voice.—
Kathy Caprino,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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The Chiefs tight end very briefly chatted about the time off during the latest episode of his and brother Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, which was released on Wednesday.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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The suspect briefly barricaded himself inside a bedroom before deputies were able to breach the door and make contact, the department said.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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The dissonance between their bacchanalian ritual and Adelaida’s silent, solitary suffering is marked, and the disrespect for the dead further underlined when a gravedigger tersely shoos her away from the graveside, reminding her that the area is unsafe, especially at nightfall.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Pentagon chief responded tersely after a viral backlash to a photo of a group of overweight Texas National Guard troops headed to Chicago.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Curtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtly. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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