short stories

noun

plural of short story
as in stories
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 stories On Monday, Hinge—yes, that Hinge—released a free audiobook comprised of five original short stories inspired by the dating sagas of real Hinge couples. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 That’s the opening line of the latest in our Flash Fiction series of very short stories for summer. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026 In addition to acting, Beaumont wrote screenplays, radio scripts, and short stories for magazines. — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026 The project is based on four short stories by Mariana Enríquez, and tells the story of Ema, a woman with the ability to see and hear the dead. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 July 2026 In many classic short stories, the real action occurs in the silences. — Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026 Yates brought out three more novels in the 1980s, along with another book of short stories, Liars in Love (1981). — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026 These invasion fictions took a range of forms, from short stories and pamphlets to novellas and full-length novels, and proliferated especially in the late-Victorian and Edwardian period leading up to World War I, which brought the subgenre’s brief flourishing to an end. — Ivan Kreilkamp, JSTOR Daily, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for short stories
  1. stories
  2. tales
  3. novellas
Noun
  • Still, state media have been highlighting stories about cafes and other businesses being forced to close for failing to enforce rules on clothing.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • His approach combines research on neuroscience and productivity with personal experience and stories.
    — John Hall, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of stories
Noun
  • The second book, Shift, consists of alternating flashback sequences, telling both the origin story of the silos and tales from past rebellions.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The movie is inspired by Gavras’ affinity for mythology, having grown up listening to his father interweave tales with myths.
    — Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of tales
Noun
  • Nors is the author of the story collections Wild Swims and Karate Chop; four previous novels, including Mirror, Shoulder, Signal, a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize; and two novellas, collected in So Much for That Winter.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The series currently encompasses nine sub-series arcs, standalone novels, novellas, English-language manga and graphic novels.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of novellas

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Cite this Entry

“Short stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20stories. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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