short story

as in tale
a work with imaginary characters and events that is shorter and usually less complex than a novel her very first short story was accepted for publication in a local journal

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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 short story But true Leonard fans will love the heavily detailed account, with page after page of facts about the author’s 45 books, countless movie scripts and short stories. Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 13 July 2025 In his lifetime, Updike published more than a hundred and fifty poems and more than a hundred and sixty short stories in the magazine. John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025 Over the course of his career, Williams authored 39 plays, 11 screenplays, two novels, numerous short stories, and more than 70 one-act plays. Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 July 2025 But frankly, a book of short stories is usually a difficult kind of book with which to launch an author. John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for short story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short story
Noun
  • That tale is just one of many in the story that don’t show Joel in an especially flattering light.
    David Browne, Rolling Stone, 18 July 2025
  • The Coldplay public humiliation is a cautionary tale of atrophied American privacy.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • The extensive new detention policy is also expected to face legal challenges This is a developing story.
    Katherine Faulders, ABC News, 15 July 2025
  • Get a weekly round up of the top tech stories from around the world in your inbox every Friday.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Based on the first novella in Martha Wells’ book series, Murderbot is a sci-fi thriller/comedy about a self-hacking security construct who is horrified by human emotion yet drawn to its vulnerable clients, played by Alexander Skarsgård.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 10 July 2025
  • The show, based on a novella by the author Martha Wells, follows a snarky private-security cyborg (played by Alexander Skarsgård) assigned to protect a group of scientists investigating a mostly uncharted planet.
    Emma Stefansky, The Atlantic, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • There are subtle transitions in this narrative, carefully plotted points of reference which keep the story from ever feeling disjointed or abrupt.
    Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
  • Consequently, that makes a weaker conclusion for the narrative, one the series can only wrap up by having Paul use his pistol on himself and take a tumble into rushing river waters.
    Andy Crump, Time, 20 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20story. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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