as in novella
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel
bought a collection of his novels and novelettes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of novelette
Alfred Hitchcock turned one of Woolrich’s novelettes into Rear Window, for which Woolrich was paid the grand sum of $650.
—
Sam Kashner, Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025
What began as an audio-only novelette (drawing on el-Mohtar’s own experience with the harp) has transformed into a novella with illustrations: In the town of Thistleford, Hawthorn sisters Esther and Ysabel raise their voices together to sing about everything from adventure to sadness.
—Natalie Zutter
january 2, Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2025
The next year, Hao Jingfang became the first Chinese woman to win a Hugo, for her novelette Folding Beijing.
—Yi-Ling Liu, Wired, 9 Mar. 2021
Flash fiction, short stories, and novelettes don’t usually get the same amount of attention as their longer counterparts, which is a shame.
—Andrew Liptak, The Verge, 15 Nov. 2018
Graphic novelettes issued by the U.S. Army Cyber Institute aim to educate soldiers about digital threats
Stephen Cass
23 Mar 2018
3 min read
Stephen Cass is the special projects editor at IEEE Spectrum.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Mar. 2018
Sam Kashner, Air Mail, 12 Apr. 2025
What began as an audio-only novelette (drawing on el-Mohtar’s own experience with the harp) has transformed into a novella with illustrations: In the town of Thistleford, Hawthorn sisters Esther and Ysabel raise their voices together to sing about everything from adventure to sadness.
—Natalie Zutter
january 2, Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2025
The next year, Hao Jingfang became the first Chinese woman to win a Hugo, for her novelette Folding Beijing.
—Yi-Ling Liu, Wired, 9 Mar. 2021
Flash fiction, short stories, and novelettes don’t usually get the same amount of attention as their longer counterparts, which is a shame.
—Andrew Liptak, The Verge, 15 Nov. 2018
Graphic novelettes issued by the U.S. Army Cyber Institute aim to educate soldiers about digital threats
Stephen Cass
23 Mar 2018
3 min read
Stephen Cass is the special projects editor at IEEE Spectrum.
—IEEE Spectrum, 23 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for novelette
Noun
-
Clive Barker's adaptation of his own novella, The Hellbound Heart, introduced us to one of the scariest cinematic baddies, Pinhead, leader of a group of sadomasochistic demonic beings who are summoned by humans either accidentally or in pursuit of pleasures of their own.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
There’s a novella of a wine list, with by-the-glass options obscurely scrawled on a mirror above the bar.—
Charlie Hobbs,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For a cautionary tale, look no further than Kraft Heinz, formed by a mega-merger in 2015.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The series, the tale of a wealthy family forced to start from scratch in the middle-of-nowhere town of the title, amassed a cult following during the pandemic.—
Meriam Bouarrouj,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Beyond the famous spaceships, X-Wing and TIE Fighter also brought compelling stories set in the Star Wars universe, alongside technical advancements like fully 3D graphics in place of the bitmap sprites of previous titles.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Ludwig wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news on Thursday.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Novelette.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/novelette. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
