as in stings
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
charged that the used-car dealer had been shorting customers for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of shorts
Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
Of course the star who made red carpet shorts a thing (twice) will wear a tank any time.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
Competitive sections for features, documentaries, and shorts each comprise 16 titles, while retrospectives, restorations, and regional premieres are grouped into three out-of-competition strands of 24 films.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
San Martín’s debut feature To Kill The Beast premiered in the Discovery section at TIFF in 2021, while her shorts The Swedish Cousin and Monster God premiered at Berlin and Cannes respectively.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
But not just any shorts — rather, suit shorts!
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Using say, Pixar shorts as a reference, most are between 4 and 8 minutes.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
All features and series screened to UK audiences for the first time, including 28 world premieres (7 features, 1 series, 19 shorts, 1 immersive), 11 International Premieres (11 features, 1 short), and 20 European Premieres (12 features, 7 shorts, 1 immersive).
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Accompanied by a bevy of dancers dressed in camo shorts and white T-shirts and her DJ, their commander of the night turned up the heat with her performance, and while initially wearing a short camo jacket.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
Kyle Hency started Chubbies in 2011 with three Stanford friends as a fun, weekend‑and‑beer‑vibe shorts brand.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
Of course the star who made red carpet shorts a thing (twice) will wear a tank any time.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2026
Competitive sections for features, documentaries, and shorts each comprise 16 titles, while retrospectives, restorations, and regional premieres are grouped into three out-of-competition strands of 24 films.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
San Martín’s debut feature To Kill The Beast premiered in the Discovery section at TIFF in 2021, while her shorts The Swedish Cousin and Monster God premiered at Berlin and Cannes respectively.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
But not just any shorts — rather, suit shorts!
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Using say, Pixar shorts as a reference, most are between 4 and 8 minutes.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Noun
Sundresses, shorts, and short sleeves are ideal for scorching days, but might make a low temperature indoors a bit more uncomfortable.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
All features and series screened to UK audiences for the first time, including 28 world premieres (7 features, 1 series, 19 shorts, 1 immersive), 11 International Premieres (11 features, 1 short), and 20 European Premieres (12 features, 7 shorts, 1 immersive).
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Accompanied by a bevy of dancers dressed in camo shorts and white T-shirts and her DJ, their commander of the night turned up the heat with her performance, and while initially wearing a short camo jacket.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shorts
Verb
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That role, and the vitriol from within the industry toward the movie (a flop turned cult favorite), still stings.—
Cat Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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The result stings, but the fightback should give them confidence to carry forward.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Drew Angerer / Getty Images file For months, school officials have floated proposals to relocate or close at least four middle schools on the Upper West Side, citing low enrollment, funding squeezes, academic performance and compliance with a 2022 law requiring class-size reductions by 2028.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
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While most bullion coins track spot closely, certain products remain in higher demand during supply squeezes or retail rushes.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What makes the contest especially compelling is the psychology of voters who admire both films.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
6 Mar. 2026
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Rosi returns repeatedly to this theater, and to other films about the area, including the silent-era Last Days of Pompeii, suggesting that his own film might itself be part of an ongoing archival plunder.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Inspired by real stories, Eva Marcille portrays a wife who miraculously cheats death after her husband’s (Tyler Lepley) betrayal in Pushed Off a Plane and Survived airing on February 28.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
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Blashill wants the Blackhawks to be a fast-pressure team at both ends of the rink, one that attacks vertically but never cheats for offense.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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These Rains cargo pants are a genius way to stay dry in style on a wet, chilly day, with a waterproof exterior, plus useful features like a comfortable drawstring waist and large rain-safe pockets.—
Alexandra Pereira,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps Little Foot’s lineage was more closely related to East African hominins, while South African hominins evolved distinct facial features later on, the authors wrote in the study.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But if Rick later plucks something from behind that rock at the fire, are others going to start poking around looking for stuff?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
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The first layer, called the Level-1 Trigger, or L1T, harvests 100,000 events per second, and the second layer, called the High-Level Trigger, or HLT, plucks 1,000 of those events to save for later analysis.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What makes for the best spring movies?—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
12 Mar. 2026
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Horror movies pair best with a strong drink and a brass band.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sensing Yamamoto might pitch again, Sonoda wore the same boxers for Game 7.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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Most recently, the Christy actress made a case for peekaboo boxers while taking the look out on the town on February 9.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shorts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shorts. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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