1
as in little
having relatively little height
a lot of boys are shorter than the girls in middle school, but they quickly catch up by high school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brief
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately for those of us in the hot sun, the graduation speech was short and to the point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
regrettably, the art supplies are short this year, so you'll have to share
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in crisp
having a texture that readily breaks into little pieces under pressure
short pastry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in blunt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
I didn't mean to be so short with you by responding to your request with a snippy "I'm busy!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in abruptly
with great suddenness
the bicyclist ahead of me unexpectedly pulled up short and I unavoidably plowed into him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
charged that the used-car dealer had been shorting customers for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in feature
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of short
Alexa Stone
january 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
O'Reilly has scored two of Nashville's three short-handed goals this season.
—CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2026
But then Puka Nacua rolled his ankle against the Ravens, and the Rams were short-handed again going into the next game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2025
In the past, active investment managers could negate overvalued stocks by selling or shorting them.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 7 Nov. 2025
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Accompanied by a bevy of dancers dressed in camo shorts and white T-shirts and her DJ, their commander of the night turned up the heat with her performance, and while initially wearing a short camo jacket.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for short
Adjective
The weeklong event, KCRW for short, gives KC foodies the option to try a new restaurant or revisit their favorite spot while keeping affordability at the forefront.
—Alexa Stone
january 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
O'Reilly has scored two of Nashville's three short-handed goals this season.
—CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Bernthal, to be fair, is short-changed.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2026
But then Puka Nacua rolled his ankle against the Ravens, and the Rams were short-handed again going into the next game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Use clam shell-type products to keep water from getting into the connection point and shorting out the lights.
—Kylie Petty, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2025
In the past, active investment managers could negate overvalued stocks by selling or shorting them.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
Filmed over seven years, this documentary short is a deeply personal East-meets-West story of mutual healing.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2025
Accompanied by a bevy of dancers dressed in camo shorts and white T-shirts and her DJ, their commander of the night turned up the heat with her performance, and while initially wearing a short camo jacket.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for short
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short
Adjective
-
In contrast to the surge in opioid fatality numbers of the past decade, deaths attributable to cocaine have shown little increase.—
Charles LeBaron,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Houston’s defensive prowess was on display on each snap as Rodgers was left with little to no time to make a decision.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Stanley later issued a brief video statement on YouTube.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The extended Marty Supreme ensemble is full of such quirky picks and unexpected brief cameos from the likes of fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, illusionist Penn Jillette, and New Yorker writer Naomi Fry.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Nothing undermines success like a lack of stability, and of course, a lacking quarterback.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
9 Jan. 2026
-
These are all signs of a lacking musclespan, whereas not noticing any difficulties in everyday tasks suggests a stronger trajectory.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The active noise cancellation cuts through airport chaos, while the sound quality stays crisp and immersive.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Earlier in the week, that also included white heels — a timely move, given how many celebrities have been wearing crisp white shoes as of late.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The coroner determined that the cause of death was traumatic blunt force injuries and the manner of death was an accident.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Top women executives have also been blunt about the tradeoffs of work and life.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
When the building abruptly closed this spring, with tenants initially given just 48 hours to vacate, Hartquist hopped across the skyway to the Town Square building.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Tommy travels to Louisiana for a launch party marking the start of M-Tex’s offshore drilling project — but the celebration quickly unravels when Cami (Demi Moore) abruptly cuts ties with him.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This is not always the case, however, as rates, service quality, and coverage features often vary widely.—
Ethan M. Stone,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Of the 14 teams that qualified for the playoffs, eight feature a player with Idaho ties on their roster.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Short.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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