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
The tours started shortly thereafter, just in our own cars, driving down the coast.
—
Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
The Packers released Alexander in June, and the Ravens signed him shortly thereafter.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
Detroit waived him shortly before the start of the 2025 campaign, which was when Kansas City scooped him up.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Elmore entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors shortly before his trial was set to begin.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortly
Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
The Packers released Alexander in June, and the Ravens signed him shortly thereafter.
—Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
Detroit waived him shortly before the start of the 2025 campaign, which was when Kansas City scooped him up.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Elmore entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors shortly before his trial was set to begin.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortly
Adverb
-
The Chiefs tight end very briefly chatted about the time off during the latest episode of his and brother Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, which was released on Wednesday.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The suspect briefly barricaded himself inside a bedroom before deputies were able to breach the door and make contact, the department said.—
Andy Humbles,
Nashville Tennessean,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
The entry of the American brand helped spur the rise of a thriving coffee culture among the burgeoning middle class of a country that traditionally drank tea, and Starbucks soon became a symbol of Western influence in a more affluent China.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
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San Diego County’s social services could soon be expanding into a new frontier — primary care.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Practice answering concisely and confidently in your own voice.—
Kathy Caprino,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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The only real precedent is Johnson, whose performance for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series matches Yamamoto’s almost precisely.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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Hollywood studio productions are extremely strict about schedules — everything runs precisely on time.—
Gavin J Blair,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shortly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortly. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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