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
Rowell is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slow Dance, Eleanor & Park, and the Simon Snow trilogy, as well as several other award-winning novels, short stories, and comics.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Those close to Khong marvel at the long half-life of her short stories.
—Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Feeling neglected by Les, Lindy has struck up a retaliatory affair with his colleague Richie (O-T Fagbenle), who mistakenly submits one of her students’ short stories to The New Yorker as her own.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026
Sultan’s latest posthumous collection shifts the focus to the artist’s mostly unpublished writings, which include his musings on teaching and art, unfinished short stories, dream logs, and essays.
—Vanity Fair, 26 Mar. 2026
While Capote was still a child writing his first short stories in Monroeville, Alabama, Darger was a middle-aged hospital janitor in Chicago quietly filling his tiny apartment with hundreds of paintings and drawings and thousands and thousands of pages of writing.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The writer and performer composes poems, short stories and plays that highlight joys and contend with struggles.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 13 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
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
Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Those close to Khong marvel at the long half-life of her short stories.
—Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Feeling neglected by Les, Lindy has struck up a retaliatory affair with his colleague Richie (O-T Fagbenle), who mistakenly submits one of her students’ short stories to The New Yorker as her own.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026
Sultan’s latest posthumous collection shifts the focus to the artist’s mostly unpublished writings, which include his musings on teaching and art, unfinished short stories, dream logs, and essays.
—Vanity Fair, 26 Mar. 2026
While Capote was still a child writing his first short stories in Monroeville, Alabama, Darger was a middle-aged hospital janitor in Chicago quietly filling his tiny apartment with hundreds of paintings and drawings and thousands and thousands of pages of writing.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The writer and performer composes poems, short stories and plays that highlight joys and contend with struggles.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 13 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short stories
Noun
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Some of the original board members are still involved with the museum, but hundreds more joined the effort, some volunteering, others donating surf boards and memorabilia, and many sharing their stories, including famous surfers from Eddie Aikau, Nat Young, Greg Noll and Donald Takayama.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Such tales clearly advise against judging people on material criteria, or assuming value based on markers of religion, class and political authority.—
Perin Gürel,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2026
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Someday, Victor Vodnik can regale his three young daughters, Ariel, Rose, and Viviana, with tales about his battles with Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This pair of novellas is about a middle-aged woman, the heroine’s sister, who comes to Tokyo intent on obtaining breast implants and a protagonist contemplating artificial insemination in a culture that doubts the procedure’s morality.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
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House of the Dragon premieres its third season this summer ahead of a fourth and likely final season in 2028, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on Martin's Tales of Dunk & Egg novellas, is in production on season 2 for release in 2027.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Short stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20stories. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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