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 Both these books are far more sentimental than that first collection of short stories. Danielle Dutton july 2, Literary Hub, 2 July 2025 His fiction background includes a series of short stories and his first novel, Arthur, published earlier this year. Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 Moretti adapted Nevo’s short story collection together with co-screenwriters Federica Pontremoli and Valia Santella, intertwining the book’s separate stories about the various bonds — familial, political, social and romantic — that both restrict and liberate, into a single narrative. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2025 Loosely based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the film tells the tale of Benjamin Button, who is born with the appearance and strength of an elderly man and ultimately ages backward into infancy. Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for short story
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short story
Noun
  • Both Van Poppel and Taylor, who injured his shoulder in a bar fight in 1993 and never reached the major leagues, are cautionary tales on the dangers of taking a high school pitcher in the first round.
    Melissa Lockard, New York Times, 7 July 2025
  • Sula by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison’s suite of stunning historical novels includes Beloved, A Mercy, and this 1973 tale of a friendship between Sula Peace and Nel Wright.
    Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
Noun
  • For beautiful views of the Tennessee River and Wilson Dam, head to this greenspace with a scenic 1.3-mile trail along the waterfront with interpretive displays sharing stories about Florence’s history.
    Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 July 2025
  • Instead of museum stories, this is a living legacy of knowledge that needs to be shared with the human family.
    Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025
Noun
  • These are the stories that make up Room on the Sea, a trio of novellas from the Call Me by Your Name author, André Aciman.
    airmail.news, airmail.news, 5 July 2025
  • Originally assigned to George Lucas and working from a script by John Milius, the project was loosely based on Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness.
    Armond White, National Review, 4 July 2025
Noun
  • The filmmaker’s breakthrough: anchoring the narrative on the eight-year-old Bobo.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 7 July 2025
  • While information about what happened trickled out slowly at first, reviewing the detective's narrative of the investigation revealed how the shooter had engaged in a pattern of abuse that culminated in him entering the house party on Ridgecrest Drive and shooting at those inside.
    Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 7 July 2025

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

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