as in tales
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
her very first short story was accepted for publication in a local journal
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 short stories
And in short stories and doorstops, her attention is ruthless and unflinching.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Lavender will work with Osborne and the team on films and series based on novels including Beautiful Animals and The Glass Kingdom, as well as short stories and original screenplays.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Hanks cowrote the play, based on his collection of short stories, with James Glossman.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
Researchers in Montreal played short stories for 39 of their subjects in French, German, and Hebrew (the rest were the control group), until the babies were born.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025
In the grand tradition of other kid-friendly cartoons, each episode contains two short stories.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
At times the novel felt more like a collection of short stories than one cohesive narrative — until the second half of the book, when two events, one celebratory and one heartbreaking, bring the group together.
—Zoë Jackson, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
In 2011, researchers at UC San Diego conducted a study where participants were given short stories to read.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
In the autumn of his life, Henry James went back to many of his novels and short stories, submitting them to revisions sufficiently far-reaching to keep scholars happily squabbling forever.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Lavender will work with Osborne and the team on films and series based on novels including Beautiful Animals and The Glass Kingdom, as well as short stories and original screenplays.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
Hanks cowrote the play, based on his collection of short stories, with James Glossman.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
Researchers in Montreal played short stories for 39 of their subjects in French, German, and Hebrew (the rest were the control group), until the babies were born.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 8 Oct. 2025
In the grand tradition of other kid-friendly cartoons, each episode contains two short stories.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
At times the novel felt more like a collection of short stories than one cohesive narrative — until the second half of the book, when two events, one celebratory and one heartbreaking, bring the group together.
—Zoë Jackson, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
In 2011, researchers at UC San Diego conducted a study where participants were given short stories to read.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
In the autumn of his life, Henry James went back to many of his novels and short stories, submitting them to revisions sufficiently far-reaching to keep scholars happily squabbling forever.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short stories
Noun
-
Its interconnected tales, which evoke campfire stories and urban legends, wring morbid laughs and genuine scares in much the same fashion as Tales From the Crypt.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Make a pit stop in SoHo at The Dominick where a vintage phone booth in the lobby awaits, outfitted with a Haunted Hotline that tells chilling tales inspired by NYC.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The thrill of the unexplained is what prompts so many to take ghost tours, which often tell juicy and sometimes goosebump-inducing stories that give historic sites a richer context.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Those stories kept the massive, icy North American territory in his mind until this year.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In terms of perspective on the series, like the novellas — and unlike Game of Thrones — the panelists underscored that this story is led by Dunk in almost every way.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
-
One of the authors that Covici brought along with him to Viking was a young writer named John Steinbeck; his company had published Steinbeck’s novellas Tortilla Flat in 1935 and Of Mice and Men in 1937.—
Paul Slovak
September 16,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Short stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20stories. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share