as in stories
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 stories
Sadly, male readership of novels and short stories is at a historic low.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
My novels are in a major key, but my short stories tend to be in a minor key.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
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
This week, Vogue spoke to Groff about transitioning between writing novels and short stories, writing first drafts longhand, owning and operating an independent bookstore in Gainesville, Florida, and more.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2026
Big-name authors like Jonathan Safran Foer, Toni Morrison and Julia Alvarez even wrote original short stories that Chipotle published on its cups and bags.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
But six short stories is a good tradeoff, and these show the author’s great versatility.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
My novels are in a major key, but my short stories tend to be in a minor key.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
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
This week, Vogue spoke to Groff about transitioning between writing novels and short stories, writing first drafts longhand, owning and operating an independent bookstore in Gainesville, Florida, and more.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2026
Big-name authors like Jonathan Safran Foer, Toni Morrison and Julia Alvarez even wrote original short stories that Chipotle published on its cups and bags.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
But six short stories is a good tradeoff, and these show the author’s great versatility.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short stories
Noun
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Most players, these days, share those stories on podcasts.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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The island is famously low-key, thanks in part to an ordinance that restricts buildings over three stories, keeping high-rises and big resort brands off the sand.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Wrexham’s Hollywood script Ridiculous rise, incredible achievements, two very likeable owners and a working-class town and club reborn by one of modern football’s most famous rags-to-riches tales.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Different mythological tales point to the reason behind this observance.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 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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The plan, as outlined by Orsi in that February 2025 Deadline interview, is to adapt all three of the novellas in the Dunk and Egg collection across three total seasons.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Short stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20stories. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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