shortly

adverb

short·​ly ˈshȯrt-lē 

1

a

: in a few words : briefly

b

: in an abrupt manner

2

a

: in a short time

we will be there shortly

b

: at a short interval

shortly after sunset

Synonyms

• briefly
• compactly
• concisely
• crisply
• curtly
• elliptically
• laconically
• pithily
• succinctly
• summarily
• tersely

Examples of shortly in a Sentence

He left shortly after you did.

“I can't help you right now,” he said shortly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Chesebro pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge months later after striking a deal with prosecutors shortly before his trial was set to begin. —Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024

The wife died at the scene and her spouse succumbed shortly afterward at a hospital, the prosecutor’s office said. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

The second largest single-day act of clemency was by Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before leaving office in 2017. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Landed during the rainy season in a swamp, the emigrants found neither fresh water nor waterproof dwellings awaiting them, though they were shortly regaled with a supply of skates! —Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing shortly

• shortly after

Kids Definition

shortly

adverb

short·​ly ˈshȯrt-lē 

1

: in a few words : briefly

2

: in or within a short time : soon

will arrive shortly

shortly after sunset