short story

Definition of short storynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 story Since then, the latter has authored over 40 fantasy and science fiction works, including novels, graphic novels, young adult novels and short stories which have collectively sold over 50 million copies worldwide. Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026 Taylor’s short time with the whales in their annual migration inspired her to write a short story. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 1 June 2026 The Argentine writer’s short story, first published in 1941, imagines an infinite archive of books in which the alphabet has been configured into every possible combination, resulting in a limitless array of texts meaning everything and nothing. Raphael Helfand, Pitchfork, 29 May 2026 In February of that year, Gabriel García Márquez, then a law student who was beginning to publish his first short stories in newspapers, attended a demonstration led by Gaitán. Roberto Andrés, The Dial, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for short story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short story
Noun
  • However, the demise of a similar project in Serbia offers a cautionary tale.
    Zana Cimili, Fortune, 12 June 2026
  • One morning earlier this week, Thomas Lupo, the president and CEO of the American Wood Column Corporation, was in his office regaling two young entrepreneurs with tales of his 110-year-old family business.
    Anne Kadet, Curbed, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • Balogun's big night marked a historic moment in one of the more fascinating American soccer stories in USMNT history.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
  • This story has been updated with new information and to add video.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • The Norwegian writer Vigdis Hjorth creates a whole world in very few pages in this novella-length work in which even the pacing of the narrative itself does so much of the storytelling.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • In this inventive, boundary-pushing follow-up to Detransition, Baby, one novella and three stories take on gender, transness and lives on the margins in all of their gorgeously complicated glory.
    Caroline Killilea, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • Her stunning debut memoir is about how trauma upends narrative structures, and the struggle to write about it anyway despite its unwieldiness.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • Launched within JioHotstar with more than 100 original titles, Tadka features vertical, episodic stories ranging from 30 to 60 seconds, designed for mobile-first consumption with narratives rooted in everyday emotions, relationships and contemporary Indian culture.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 June 2026

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“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20story. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

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