short story

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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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 From a cocoa hazelnut flavor made with single-origin Ecuadorian chocolate from a local chocolatier to their line of edible perfumes made with a local perfumer, the flavors at Salt & Straw are a collection of short stories, each shedding light on a different part of the city. Anna Haines, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 Her work has attracted increasing big-screen attention in recent years, with Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín (Maria) locking a deal last month to direct an adaptation of her short story My Sad Dead for Netflix. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 July 2025 The frog leaped to national fame with Mark Twain's short story The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, which helped launch his writing career. Nathan Rott, NPR, 19 July 2025 Her short stories have appeared in Grain, Prairie Fire, The Dalhousie Review, and The Journey Prize Stories 21 & 22. Edmond Lee, Hazlitt, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for short story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short story
Noun
  • With all due respect to the pressures of making an unconventional sci-fi film on a tight budget, using ecologically destructive technology for a story of ecological devastation, in which clean water is an increasingly rare resource, adds an unintentionally grim layer of irony to the tale.
    Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
  • The two met in secret, and some versions of the story suggest their love lives on only in death, much like the Western tale of Romeo and Juliet.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Share stories of lateral moves in company updates—not as policy footnotes but as real growth journeys.
    Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Adapted by Max Porter from his novella Shy, Steve has Oscar winner Murphy playing a headteacher during a pivotal day for students at a last-chance reform school and in a world that has left them behind.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2025
  • Each of the first four novels tells the love story of a hockey player, with the fifth being a novella collection of all four couples.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • In this role, Claire will guide our day-to-day assignments, from quick turn reporting to longform narrative features to live events coverage.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
  • In one study, psychologist Jonathan Adler followed a group of adults who wrote narratives about themselves over a period of 12 psychotherapy sessions.
    J. David Creswell, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2025

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“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20story. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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