briefly

adverb

brief·​ly ˈbrē-flē How to pronounce briefly (audio)
Synonyms of brieflynext
1
a
: in a brief way
briefly mentioned
b
: in brief
the food, briefly, was awful
2
: for a short time
briefly married

Synonyms of briefly

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Examples of briefly in a Sentence

Several important issues are only briefly mentioned. Please briefly describe your experience. We briefly considered canceling the trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Aside from briefly losing the seat for one term nearly a decade ago, Valadao has hung onto the seat. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026 The researchers also found evidence that features of both states could briefly coexist, suggesting that their relationship is more complicated than a simple winner-takes-all competition. — Sven Badoux, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026 Apple's market value briefly surpassed Nvidia in July, before falling back below. — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 In France, many local government sites were also briefly taken down. — Kate Bartlett, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for briefly

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of briefly was in the 13th century

Rhymes for briefly

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Browse Nearby Words

briefless
briefly
briefness
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Cite this Entry

“Briefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/briefly. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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