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.
Those emotions briefly got the best of him when the Tigers played a tribute video on the big screen. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The suspect was uncooperative during the contact and physically resisted, briefly pulling the officer partially inside his vehicle, Lincoln police said in a social media post. — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The two had briefly met the year prior at a record label day party (Joe is a music agent and Ramya is a talent manager and startup advisor). — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026 Two lakes that subsequently formed beside the site of catastrophic landslides sparked fears of fresh flooding and prompted both China and Nepal to briefly pause rescue efforts. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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