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.
Panama City reported no damage, and the airport reopened after briefly suspending flights. — Aris Mariota, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Dalton, 38, entered the Eagles’ 27-7 Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears after Jalen Hurts briefly left the game with an injury. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 The Wildcats briefly generated momentum when defensive back Kenneth Anderson intercepted a Southwest pass at the Dunbar 31-yard line, but the Raiders quickly regained control. — Shiloh Robinson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2026 The story effectively went viral, Churchill told me, and lock-picking competitions briefly exploded in popularity. — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 10 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Briefly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/briefly. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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