SHORTLY Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

shortly

adverb

ˈshȯrt-lē

Definition of shortly

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 shortly Pelosi endorsed Chan shortly before the primary, boosting her underdog campaign with fundraisers and staff support. — Anna Liss-Roy, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2026 Holzhauer was reelected to the Naperville council in 2025 and announced his intention to run for county board shortly thereafter. — Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026 Wave coach Jonas Eidevall made his first substitution shortly afterward, replacing Godfrey with forward Ludmila in an effort to provide another attacking threat. — Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026 Ellington recently agreed to take up a moratorium proposal shortly before Thanksgiving. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shortly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortly

Adverb

The victim's son, Patrick Malone, spoke briefly to media after the execution.

— KIM CHANDLER, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Nathan Fielder and Vera Wang chatted briefly as the crowd waiting to enter Alice Tully Hall grew, while Julia Fox and other beautiful downtown and Brooklyn nightlife fixtures fanned out around the auditorium.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of briefly

Adverb

The plant went offline soon after being captured by Russia early in the war, but needs power to keep essential cooling systems running.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
The city will soon be holding advisory meetings to develop the list of events and festivals that will occur in the next 12 months.

— John Ramos, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of soon

Adverb

There is one fascinating bit after the next in this exhibit, all laid out concisely by Henneman in the wall text.

— Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026
Communicating it simply and concisely requires a clear framework, strong data and deep business understanding.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of concisely

Adverb

Multilingual support is particularly valuable during the consultation and the post-operative briefing, when washing instructions, medication schedules and activity restrictions need to be understood precisely rather than approximately.

— Burak Onal, Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2026
Under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China is going all out for tech self-sufficiency precisely to escape the kind of dependencies that Huang envisages.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2026