1
as in little
having relatively little height
a lot of boys are shorter than the girls in middle school, but they quickly catch up by high school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brief
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately for those of us in the hot sun, the graduation speech was short and to the point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
regrettably, the art supplies are short this year, so you'll have to share
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in crisp
having a texture that readily breaks into little pieces under pressure
short pastry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in blunt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
I didn't mean to be so short with you by responding to your request with a snippy "I'm busy!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in abruptly
with great suddenness
the bicyclist ahead of me unexpectedly pulled up short and I unavoidably plowed into him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
charged that the used-car dealer had been shorting customers for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in feature
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of short
Erin Carlson Mast, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
The intervention also lasted only 12 months, which is a relatively short period for an aging study.
—Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 16 Feb. 2026
John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
Denmark is coming off its strongest international performance in the nation’s history, falling short in the bronze medal game at last year’s International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championship.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
Tesla recalled certain 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and Model Y vehicles because the cars had computer circuit boards that may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image, according to documents released online by NHTSA.
—Keith Laing, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Sundresses, shorts, and short sleeves are ideal for scorching days, but might make a low temperature indoors a bit more uncomfortable.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for short
Adjective
For example, the Lincoln Presidential Foundation has produced award-winning short documentaries that can be used by students, educators and lifelong learners, plus companion resources for use in the classroom.
—Erin Carlson Mast, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
The intervention also lasted only 12 months, which is a relatively short period for an aging study.
—Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 16 Feb. 2026
Adverb
The risk for the governor is that one or both candidates could come up short with voters — potentially undercutting his influence during the remainder of the election year and into next year’s legislative session.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
Denmark is coming off its strongest international performance in the nation’s history, falling short in the bronze medal game at last year’s International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championship.
—Sean Nevin, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
Verb
Of course the star who made red carpet shorts a thing (twice) will wear a tank any time.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
Tesla recalled certain 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and Model Y vehicles because the cars had computer circuit boards that may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image, according to documents released online by NHTSA.
—Keith Laing, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
What began as a 14-minute documentary short for The New Yorker Studios landed top honors from The New Yorker film critic Justin Chang and his two fellow jurors at this year’s indie fest.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Sundresses, shorts, and short sleeves are ideal for scorching days, but might make a low temperature indoors a bit more uncomfortable.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for short
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short
Adjective
-
The little sluiceways through the shoals were only a few inches deep, so the coontail moss was also that much closer to the surface.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
That polarization leaves little margin for prosecutorial missteps.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The crucial employment snapshot is slightly delayed because of the brief government shutdown and will show whether the trajectory improved for the US labor market, which has been stuck in a low-hire and low-fire lull.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
School officials issued a brief statement saying the VA had offered to meet with them in Washington.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Vučević is also a good defensive rebounder, an area in which the Celtics are greatly lacking.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Unfortunately, that correspondence is wholly lacking.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The V-neck, polo-style collar, crisp white buttons, and rust-orange hue give it a refined yet approachable feel.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Women in crisp, white blouses and stylish glasses sip on their complimentary check-in margaritas while their husbands in loafers, jeans, and blue blazers wheel their bags into the library to catch a peek at the 3,700-volume collection.—
Diana Oates,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And while she’s known for experimenting with her look — from waist-length neon wigs to sleek blunt bobs — Cardi has shown that her natural hair is full and long, stretching down her back.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Its descriptively blunt autobiographical accounts of palpable angst start off reserved—but never boring—and slowly blossom into an explosive finish.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
10 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Once a thriving Crowne Plaza, the hotel was downgraded to a Radisson and then a Red Lion before closing abruptly in early 2020 when the state suspended its tax permit.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Nell is forty-two years old in 1971 and seeking to find out more about her mother, Hazel, who was secretive and abruptly moved she and her sister Evie from home to home.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But, squeezed by the cost of things from rent to beef, others are shaking up their habit.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Ag is being squeezed by foreign competition, rising costs, and weak leadership in Austin.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The car, however, has a feature that automatically turns off the engine after one hour of idling.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Zuckerberg is expected to face questions about what Meta has known about the risks of its platforms for young users, and whether those safety features were sufficient to mitigate them.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Short.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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