SMS

abbreviation or noun

ˌes-ˌem-ˈes

: a technology for sending short text messages between mobile phones

Although driven by teens and young adults who seemingly aren't satisfied with online instant messaging, SMS can be very useful for sending urgent messages to family members or co-workers.—

Consumer Reports

—often used before another noun

Creative, colorful, and sometimes perplexing, emoji add energy to SMS messages.—

Christina Bonnington

also : a message sent using this technology : text message

… is helping to test a device that implants sensors in cows to let farmers know when they are in heat. When that is the case, the device sends an SMS to the farmer's phone. —

John Tagliabue

Examples of SMS in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

In the early days of Russia's invasion into Ukraine, Ukrainian Cyber Police investigated a wave of fake SMS messages claiming ATMs were down. —

Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 2 Feb. 2025 Legitimate toll operators will not request such information through SMS. 4) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Use 2FA for your accounts whenever possible. —

Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 28 Jan. 2025 If text messaging is more of your thing, grow your text list and use SMS to send timely updates, event invitations, or promotions that land directly in your audience’s hands. —

Amanda Miller Littlejohn, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025 The test was launched during the 2024 holiday season and demonstrated that RCS more than doubled revenue per send compared to traditional SMS/MMS campaigns. —

Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for SMS