# long story short

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/long-story-short
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Introducing a short version of, or simply the conclusion of, a relevant story.

## Examples

- Long story short, I missed the bus and arrived late.
- Long story short, the new restaurant is way too expensive for us.
- Long story short, I decided to quit my job and travel.
- We got lost, the car broke down, and it rained; long story short, we never made it to the party.
- I spent three hours trying to fix the sink myself, but long story short, I ended up calling a professional plumber to handle the mess.
- They argued about the budget for weeks until the manager stepped in; long story short, the team finally agreed on a new plan.
- After a series of unfortunate delays and unexpected complications during the project, long story short, we decided to cancel the entire venture.

## Origin

The phrase is a reduced form of the earlier expressions to cut a long story short and to make a long story short. Both variants appear in the 19th century as a means of concluding a narrative, though the abbreviated version has largely replaced them in common usage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.