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 of shortly

• briefly
• concisely
• in brief
• precisely

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

Writer Hugo Vickers writes in the upcoming biography Queen Elizabeth II that Philip underwent heart surgery on March 1, 2021, shortly before his death and almost did not make it. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

That’s how, last night, the best golfer most of us have ever seen slinked out of a Florida jail shortly before midnight and headed off into an uncertain future. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026

In addition to intelligence sharing, United Kingdom Secretary of Defense John Healey told BBC News on Thursday that Russia helped train Iranian forces shortly before the war began in late February. —Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026

Ghazali also exchanged several short phone calls with his ex-wife shortly before the attack, Runyan said. —Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing shortly

• shortly after

Rhymes for shortly

• courtly
• portly

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