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"
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shortly
Surveillance footage recovered from the scene showed the Uber driver got into a fender bender with the assailant shortly before the confrontation.
—
Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
Another that starts shortly before the gunfire shows Good wave a vehicle past her.
—Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
And a moment of silence was held for Ward shortly before tipoff.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
His last in-person address came shortly before COVID-19 shut down the Capitol in early 2020.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortly
Adverb
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David was briefly released on bond while awaiting the retrial.—
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Earlier this week, Risch spoke with Boise’s KIVI-TV Channel 6, and briefly addressed the matter.—
Adverb
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The Senate rejected a three-year extension last month, but serious bipartisan talks are underway in hopes of finding a compromise soon, reportedly early next week.—
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According to a Mercury News report from the time, the neighbor called for help, and was soon joined by another resident who described the apartment as having been ransacked.—
Adverb
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Well, first of all, that was incredibly concisely summarized.—
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Requa more concisely describes it as less Roland Emmerich, more Paul Greengrass.—
Adverb
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This was because revenues rose by $141 billion while outlays were $31 billion higher, precisely the same amount as the increase in interest payments.—
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That is precisely what this pilot is doing.—
Cite this Entry
“Shortly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortly. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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