the short term
noun
: a short period of time at the beginning of something
It will meet our needs, at least for the short term.
His plan has advantages over the short term.
—usually used in the phrase in the short termIt won't make any difference in the short term.
These changes may improve profits in the short term, but they are going to cost us money in the long term.
Examples of the short term in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Oil markets appear to have interpreted that restraint as a sign that significant escalation is unlikely in the short term.
—
Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Strait of Hormuz uncertainty in the short term versus the destabilizing but not regime-changing situation in Iran.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 23 June 2025
Right now the Red Sox have too many outfielders, and even if freeing up the DH spot will help facilitate things in the short term, the club has to make some sort of decision eventually.
—Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2025
That is the first pathway to immediate escalation in the short term.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the short term
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Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Strait of Hormuz uncertainty in the short term versus the destabilizing but not regime-changing situation in Iran.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 23 June 2025
Right now the Red Sox have too many outfielders, and even if freeing up the DH spot will help facilitate things in the short term, the club has to make some sort of decision eventually.
—Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2025
That is the first pathway to immediate escalation in the short term.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the short term
Cite this Entry
“The short term.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20short%20term. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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