1
as in briefly
in a few words
the sudden closing of the restaurant was announced only with a shortly worded sign: "Out of Business"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in soon
at or within a short time
the meeting will begin shortly, so don't go too far away to find a bathroom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shortly
Hogan spoke for nearly 10 minutes on the final night of the convention, shortly before President Donald Trump took the stage and accepted the nomination.
—
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
The crash occurred shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday on Ramp 96, leading to the terminal from the Lincoln Tunnel, Port Authority spokeswoman Cheryl Albiez said in a statement.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
Mortensen, who turned 19 shortly before the murders, was the second victim to speak in court Wednesday after Alandt read Funke’s statement.
—Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2025
Aquaman was born shortly before the death of famed rocker Ozzy Osbourne, an instance that notches nicely into Trisha Paytas Baby Theory (trademark pending), a half-serious idea that each time the meme queen gives birth, a notable world leader dies.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortly
Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
The crash occurred shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday on Ramp 96, leading to the terminal from the Lincoln Tunnel, Port Authority spokeswoman Cheryl Albiez said in a statement.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
Mortensen, who turned 19 shortly before the murders, was the second victim to speak in court Wednesday after Alandt read Funke’s statement.
—Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2025
Aquaman was born shortly before the death of famed rocker Ozzy Osbourne, an instance that notches nicely into Trisha Paytas Baby Theory (trademark pending), a half-serious idea that each time the meme queen gives birth, a notable world leader dies.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortly
Adverb
-
Thanks to their alliance, Musk briefly achieved powers that few unelected Americans have ever possessed.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
28 July 2025
-
The fracas got a little more heated, just briefly, than the one on Friday.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 July 2025
Adverb
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The two sides did not find enough common ground, and soon after, Crow-Armstrong blossomed into an All-Star and one of the sport’s most magnetic personalities.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
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Teens sparked the aesthetic, part skater, part punk, part hip hop star, which college kids soon remixed by layering streetwear with campus-specific staples.—
Alexandra Jane,
Essence,
31 July 2025
Adverb
-
Tsunamis are also not possible to precisely predict, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 July 2025
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This is precisely what DEI practices set out to achieve: to recognize and reward true merit and embed fairness for all in the workplace.—
Heather Price,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shortly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortly. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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