curtly

adverb

Definition of curtlynext
as in concisely
in a few words the beleaguered mayor curtly answered all questions with a simple "No comment"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of curtly But Ruben curtly responds that the only real homophobe is Niall himself. — Barry Levitt, Time, 29 May 2026 The Yangs were called in and curtly told the judgment was being overturned, their lawsuit dismissed without trial. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curtly
  1. concisely
  2. briefly
  3. tersely
Adverb
  • Washington Crossing the Delaware is perfect tour-guide material—it can be seen by a bunch of people at once, and its story can be told concisely, timed to the minute.
    — Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 13 June 2026
  • Knowing what to do if a power surge damages your appliances and electronics is essential for protecting your home, preventing future issues, and reporting damages clearly and concisely to your insurance company and the local electric company.
    — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Apr. 2026
Definition of concisely
Adverb
  • More than 200 people were turned away at the door as the venue reached capacity, with several dozen protesters briefly pushing past security and forcing entry into the room.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • In those places, day will briefly turn to twilight and, in a clear sky, the sun’s corona will become visible around the moon for up to 2 minutes 18 seconds.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of briefly
Adverb
  • That’s how Graeme McDowell tersely justified his reason for joining controversial LIV Golf in 2022.
    — CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • On Friday, the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, tersely rejected the bill, calling it a joke.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of tersely

Browse Nearby Words

curtilages
curtly
curtness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Curtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curtly. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All