Synonyms of shortly

shortly

adverb

ˈshȯrt-lē 

1

as in briefly

in a few words

the sudden closing of the restaurant was announced only with a shortly worded sign: "Out of Business"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• briefly
• concisely
• in brief
• precisely
• summarily
• curtly
• succinctly
• tersely
• laconically
• abruptly
• crisply
• in a nutshell
• in sum
• exactly
• in a word
• pithily
• in short
• compactly
• elliptically
• bluntly
• sententiously
• brusquely
• aphoristically
• bluffly
• monosyllabically

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• diffusely
• wordily
• verbosely
• long-windedly
• redundantly
• repetitiously

2

as in soon

at or within a short time

the meeting will begin shortly, so don't go too far away to find a bathroom

Synonyms & Similar Words

• soon
• momentarily
• now
• immediately
• promptly
• presently
• before long
• by and by
• directly
• instantly
• forthwith
• instantaneously
• anon
• straightaway
• right now
• right off
• right away
• incontinently
• straightway
• pronto

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shortly

The pair will meet Putin shortly before traveling to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026

Safety Alohi Gilman was ruled out shortly before kickoff, and Nwankpa was told to get ready to start. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026

As the night wore on, Hurtado’s wife began to feel ill and went into the restroom shortly before the club was set to close. — Amber Gaudet, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026

Morrissette also began performing CPR herself, and her neighbor took over shortly before police arrived at the scene. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026