short story
noun
: an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot
Examples of short story in a Sentence
her very first short story was accepted for publication in a local journal
Recent Examples on the Web
Duologies conclude and short story collections delight.
—
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Her first book of fiction, the short story collection Azares del cuerpo, was published in Colombia, Chile, and Spain, and was translated into Italian and English (Variations on the Body).
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Lionsgate identified and optioned McFadden’s literary trilogy (plus a fourth entry, a short story) early on, before the books became bestsellers.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
The top book in Illinois and Rhode Island, Saunders’ short story collection was also a finalist for the National Book Award, among other accolades.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for short story
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Her first book of fiction, the short story collection Azares del cuerpo, was published in Colombia, Chile, and Spain, and was translated into Italian and English (Variations on the Body).
—María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
Lionsgate identified and optioned McFadden’s literary trilogy (plus a fourth entry, a short story) early on, before the books became bestsellers.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
The top book in Illinois and Rhode Island, Saunders’ short story collection was also a finalist for the National Book Award, among other accolades.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for short story
Cite this Entry
“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
