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
The History of Sound (2024) is a collection of interconnected short stories following two young men in the World War I era who fall in love.
—
Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Sidney has published short stories in Bodega Magazine and Minerva Rising’s The Keeping Room.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
The story does not unfold as a typical narrative, but in a series of scenes that feel distinct yet unified, like a collection of short stories.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The killer Charles Starkweather, the short stories of Flannery O’Connor, Charles Laughton’s sole cinematic offering, The Night of the Hunter (1955), Terrance Malick’s debut film, Badlands (1973), and Springsteen’s own emotionally fraught childhood each served as inspiration and influence.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
The production has faced unique challenges in adapting Li Kotomi’s source material, which comprises seven interconnected short stories spanning different times and places.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
My older kids were given these nonsense short stories.
—Amy Delaura, The Washington Examiner, 23 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
Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
Sidney has published short stories in Bodega Magazine and Minerva Rising’s The Keeping Room.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
The story does not unfold as a typical narrative, but in a series of scenes that feel distinct yet unified, like a collection of short stories.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The killer Charles Starkweather, the short stories of Flannery O’Connor, Charles Laughton’s sole cinematic offering, The Night of the Hunter (1955), Terrance Malick’s debut film, Badlands (1973), and Springsteen’s own emotionally fraught childhood each served as inspiration and influence.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025
The production has faced unique challenges in adapting Li Kotomi’s source material, which comprises seven interconnected short stories spanning different times and places.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
My older kids were given these nonsense short stories.
—Amy Delaura, The Washington Examiner, 23 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short stories
Noun
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Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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Below, Dyens and Miailhe speak to Deadline about the importance of unearthing human stories amid the tragedy of the World War II era.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Immigration tales tend to adopt a hybrid form—part elegy for life in the home country, part hymn to the promise of the new.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
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The rest will fade into irrelevance — remembered not for their art or innovation, but as cautionary tales of what happens when inclusion becomes optional.—
Kimberly S. Reed,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The book is a collection of three novellas, including the titular Legends of the Fall.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
18 Dec. 2025
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Works adapted from books or book series, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, plays, or magazine articles remain eligible.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Short stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20stories. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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