momentarily

adverb

ˌmō-mən-ˈter-ə-lē How to pronounce momentarily (audio)
Definition of momentarilynext
as in shortly
at or within a short time we'll be finished momentarily

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 momentarily Her husband wrinkled his forehead, momentarily, as if trying to place her. — Literary Hub, 13 July 2026 Soto momentarily lost track of it, allowing Seigler to get to second. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026 The show debuts on Adult Swim (and subsequently HBO Max) as Season 9 of Rick and Morty comes to an end on the same day, and the stars of the two shows do momentarily cross in the first episode. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 July 2026 His father, Brady Kiser, said that he was momentarily distracted when the incident unfolded and that Emilie was away at the time. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for momentarily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for momentarily
  1. shortly
  2. soon
Adverb
  • She was elected to the Raytown C-2 School Board in 2021, shortly before winning her legislative seat.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • McDonald has already been snapped up by Melbourne side St Kilda and will shortly depart for Australia to begin his AFL career.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of shortly
Adverb
  • Munster, who has extensively researched Ebola, was locked out of his lab soon after the January detention.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • The organization has also installed four emergency clinic modules for local healthcare facilities, with a fifth expected to open soon.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of soon

Browse Nearby Words

momenta
momentarily
momentariness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Momentarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/momentarily. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on momentarily

Nglish: Translation of momentarily for Spanish Speakers

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 mitigate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All