as in tale
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
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Recent Examples of short story
These are really short stories, like 100-word stories, but that’s where AI is going.
—
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 Feb. 2026
For her, the little pink houses of our decaying American mythology are still haunted enough to give her a few more good short stories.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Reading often inspires her to write short stories that imitate the voice of an author.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
In 1893, Scottish-Canadian author, Robert Barr, wrote a short story about an unhappy married couple that was vacationing in the Swiss Alps when the husband plots to push his wife off of a cliff.
—Mary Beth Skylis, Outside, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for short story
Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 Feb. 2026
For her, the little pink houses of our decaying American mythology are still haunted enough to give her a few more good short stories.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Reading often inspires her to write short stories that imitate the voice of an author.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Feb. 2026
In 1893, Scottish-Canadian author, Robert Barr, wrote a short story about an unhappy married couple that was vacationing in the Swiss Alps when the husband plots to push his wife off of a cliff.
—Mary Beth Skylis, Outside, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for short story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short story
Noun
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When The Departed becomes a hit, the narrative of Wahlberg versus Damon becomes a triumphant tale of King Marty keeping his hot-blooded A-listers in check.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
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Jones considers Toni Morrison an influence, and Kin could be read alongside 1973’s Sula, also a tale of a profound female friendship.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ghazali lived in a single-story brick home in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn Heights about 38 miles south of the synagogue.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
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That Mann himself had written stories on gay themes added to the piquancy of the encounter.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For reading widely, there’s discovery to be had among novellas, which thanks to their short length can get away with being weird and different.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
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Some fans braced themselves for the possibility of another Crescent City update or perhaps a short novella—no shade, but expectations were cautiously low.—
Fleurine Tideman,
Glamour,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At points, the government’s narrative about her became even more extreme.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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The narrative swap imbued the character with a more substantial motivation.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20story. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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