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

According to witnesses, shortly before the attack, speakers at the rally said that ensuring security and eliminating militancy were the state’s responsibility. — CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

Outside the path of totality, a deep partial solar eclipse will be visible across much of Europe shortly before sunset, while northeastern North America sees a shallow partial eclipse during the afternoon. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

The Sacramento City Teachers Association released a response shortly afterward, with President Nikki Davis-Milevsky slamming the decision and urging the district to appeal the rescission to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. — Chaewon Chung updated July 31, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026

The two connected shortly thereafter on a play-action pass for a first down. — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 31 July 2026