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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shortly
Boston Logan International Airport trails shortly behind with 550 cancellations and 129 delays.
—
Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
Prediction market Kalshi shows odds of a government shutdown around 77%—up from less than 10% shortly before the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol in Minneapolis this weekend.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Romeo and Kim briefly split in 2025, before shortly reuniting.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 26 Jan. 2026
Hands are visible shortly before shooting Another video, taken across the street from where the shooting occurred, shows protesters yelling at officers during the immigration enforcement operation.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortly
Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
Prediction market Kalshi shows odds of a government shutdown around 77%—up from less than 10% shortly before the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol in Minneapolis this weekend.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Romeo and Kim briefly split in 2025, before shortly reuniting.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 26 Jan. 2026
Hands are visible shortly before shooting Another video, taken across the street from where the shooting occurred, shows protesters yelling at officers during the immigration enforcement operation.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortly
Adverb
-
So most cruise lines created an e-muster process, wherein passengers would watch a safety video on their in-cabin TV or cruise line app, and then briefly check in at their muster station at time of their convenience between boarding and sailaway.—
Erica Silverstein,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Two days prior, federal immigration enforcement operations reportedly hit Boyle Heights, prompting another anti-ICE protest that saw protestors briefly hold up an intersection in the Los Angeles neighborhood.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The scammer claims to be on an oil rig or in a war zone (but rotating home soon) or is otherwise unreachable in person.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
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But with the World Cup and Olympics coming soon — events that will require coordination with the feds — the chief has been choosing his words carefully.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Few other comedians do this so consistently or concisely.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Well, first of all, that was incredibly concisely summarized.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
26 Dec. 2025
Adverb
-
Schedule Policy/Career is an attempt to disarm that weapon by restoring accountability precisely where expertise and policy are most intertwined.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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But that’s precisely what makes Melania such a curious development, the first time in either of her husband’s presidencies that the first lady has planted herself so directly in the spotlight.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortly. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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