1
as in little
having relatively little height
a lot of boys are shorter than the girls in middle school, but they quickly catch up by high school
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brief
not lasting for a considerable time
fortunately for those of us in the hot sun, the graduation speech was short and to the point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
regrettably, the art supplies are short this year, so you'll have to share
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in crisp
having a texture that readily breaks into little pieces under pressure
short pastry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in blunt
being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner
I didn't mean to be so short with you by responding to your request with a snippy "I'm busy!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in abruptly
with great suddenness
the bicyclist ahead of me unexpectedly pulled up short and I unavoidably plowed into him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
charged that the used-car dealer had been shorting customers for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in feature
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of short
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 31 Mar. 2026
That's a short, technical step to weapons-grade levels of 90%.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
Harvard-Westlake was one win away from getting to the CIF State Open Division final, but fell short in the regional final.
—Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Those who shorted the provocation phase got crushed by the pivot.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Substituting another material for copper won’t really work either – at least in the short-to-medium term.
—Adam Charles Simon, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for short
Adjective
Tucker went back to the short wall in right field to take a home run away from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Geraldo Perdomo in Saturday’s game.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 31 Mar. 2026
That's a short, technical step to weapons-grade levels of 90%.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026
Adverb
After falling short during her three years at Notre Dame, Miles reached a regional final in her first season at TCU.
—Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
Harvard-Westlake was one win away from getting to the CIF State Open Division final, but fell short in the regional final.
—Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Stanton demonstrates his battery by shorting the coils, which halts the pendulum due to the magnetic field’s braking effect.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Those who shorted the provocation phase got crushed by the pivot.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
Massachusetts resident Stephen Chukumba, who featured in the original short and has stepped up to producing for this feature, faces less drastic life choices, especially since his transgender son Hobbes, a delightfully phlegmatic, unflappable kid, is now old enough to go off to university.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Substituting another material for copper won’t really work either – at least in the short-to-medium term.
—Adam Charles Simon, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for short
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short
Adjective
-
But with Spokane creating little offensively, Andema laid the ball off along his own end line to defender Moussa Ndiaye to start a chaotic sequence that ended with the ball in the back of Boise’s net.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2026
-
In the ’90s, the peninsula was taken over by a string of summer-only nightclubs, with little regard for the natural surroundings or the ancient cemetery buried in the pine forest.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Suggest a timeline that protects quality, confirm roles in writing, and schedule a brief follow-up to keep everyone aligned, whether partnered, solo, or collaborating.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Breaking from a brief decline, jail deaths again rose statewide in 2025.—
Ryan Oehrli
April 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the upper frequencies are still slightly lacking.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Loro Parque, a zoo on the island of Tenerife, offers a clean and safe environment, expert care and proper mental and social stimulation that Wikie and Keijo are desperately lacking.—
Valerie Greene,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Mayer envisioned rocking chairs, crisp linens and tasty dinners.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Thursday is a transitional day, one of those crisp, blue-sky days that require sunglasses and a sweater.—
Greg Porter,
San Francisco Chronicle,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The medical examiner ruled Mitchell's death a homicide from blunt force trauma, according to prosecutors.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Some are preaching nirvana or being blunt about impending job loss while appearing to be oblivious to the fact that most people don’t want a world without work.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Communications or conversations can feel abruptly charged or destabilizing during the Leo moon.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Kenwood Vineyards, a longtime Sonoma Valley winery, has abruptly closed its tasting room, and a new property sale raises fresh questions about the brand’s future.—
Aidin Vaziri,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Skiers and snowboarders trying to squeeze the last bits of winter fun from Colorado‘s meager snowpack will have one less option after this week, with Vail Resort set to close 11 days sooner than planned.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The disruption has not only sent fuel prices soaring, but has squeezed supplies of petrochemicals needed to make everyday items like shoes, clothing and plastic bags.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Trying to reach for that classic creature feature, Cinemascope, old Hollywood vibe.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s image will be a feature of the exterior of the building, with jumbo video screens showing his face in the footage.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Short.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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