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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Child has penned 29 Jack Reacher novels, as well as a book of short stories. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026 Michelsen, born in Tórshavn, is a bestselling author known for her poetry, short stories, and novels for all ages. — Literary Hub, 19 June 2026 The screenplay is adapted from short stories by Ajeet Cour, an influential and pioneering feminist voice in modern Punjabi literature. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 May 2026 In February of that year, Gabriel García Márquez, then a law student who was beginning to publish his first short stories in newspapers, attended a demonstration led by Gaitán. — Roberto Andrés, The Dial, 28 May 2026 Since then, the latter has authored over 40 fantasy and science fiction works, including novels, graphic novels, young adult novels and short stories which have collectively sold over 50 million copies worldwide. — Shyla Watson, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026 The Book Catapult Specializing in literary fiction, short stories and narrative nonfiction. — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 20 May 2026 Last year's International Booker Prize went to Heart Lamp, a collection of short stories from author Banu Mushtaq about the lives of girls and women in south Indian Muslim communities. — Ivy Buck, NPR, 19 May 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
  • Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
    — Data Skrive, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • The history of Kaskaskia is full of stories of resilience and stubborn pride, but also of the inevitability of nature.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of stories
Noun
  • By Christopher Arnott Even tales as old as time need to get told a different way every once in a while.
    — Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026
  • Everything else in these tales of Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister can be a bit over-amped and over-stylized.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of tales
Noun
  • Crime fiction aficionados are sure to devour this collection of six novellas from the bestselling author.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 21 June 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
Definition of novellas

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short stories
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Cite this Entry

“Short stories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short%20stories. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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