as in stings
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
charged that the used-car dealer had been shorting customers for years
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Recent Examples of shorts
Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Princess Diana made a sweater and bike shorts the ‘90s cool-girl uniform.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
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
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
Bach, 72, played Daisy Duke, the confident, strong-willed cousin who made ultra-short denim shorts a fashion moment on the show from 1979 to 1985.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Princess Diana made a sweater and bike shorts the ‘90s cool-girl uniform.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
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
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
-
And Jaden McDaniels was right, which stings even more.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
Nothing stings more than seeing a shipping fee tacked on top of an order that was already a splurge.—
Hannah Chubb,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For the United States, the blockade squeezes Iran’s already weakened economy by denying it long-term cash flow.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The waves, which were first used in Boston in 2011, help spread things out so that runners don’t have to walk after the start, when Main Street in Hopkinton squeezes to just 39 feet wide.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Frank Sinatra entertained at his Twin Palms estate; Marilyn Monroe retreated here between films, and Elvis and Priscilla Presley honeymooned in an A-frame hideaway steps from downtown.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
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The typically nine-person panel of global filmmakers, actors, and artists is tasked with reviewing around 20 films before deciding the competition’s winners and awarding the prestigious Palme d’Or to one lucky film.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 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
-
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
-
Death by Lightning features award-worthy leading performances by Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen as President James Garfield and his assassin Charles Guiteau, respectively.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
-
So the rocks gave way to water — an elevated pool scene with multiple water features, including a rock waterfall, plus a poolside shower and an adjacent entertainment nook built for the kind of long afternoons that turn into night.—
David Caraccio
May 2,
Sacbee.com,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Carrera now plucks the melody in single notes.—
Peter Wayne Moe,
Longreads,
26 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Turner Classic Movies, which first aired in 1994, took over classic movies as TNT began broadcasting more sports.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
6 May 2026
-
Unlike most Marvel movies that have the complexity of a shopping list, this film is refreshingly deeper and boasts rare transformative arcs for various characters — and not just the lead.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The Hilton Inner Harbor hosted 14 matches Saturday, bringing about 28 boxers into the ring.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shorts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shorts. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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