curt

A few unnecessarily curt speech interruptions threatened the calm, but mainly, this was a smoothly run machine of a show, devoid of mishaps.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

When asked directly whether the administration has a social media problem during Tuesday’s press briefing, Leavitt’s answer was a curt “No.”

From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2026

The intelligence chief’s curt, deadpan delivery has helped popularize the work of the military intelligence agency, known as HUR, with the public using Budanov’s interviews for widely circulated memes on social media mocking Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

Williams had often been curt and closed when speaking to the media, but spoke warmly and openly in her first pre-tournament news conference.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2025

He was curt in his greetings, even to Manolo, whom he had always liked.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Karim gave a curt reply in Russian, which the soldier returned with an even curter retort.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

"I have never had that thought, Boris Alexandrovitch," replied the other in a tone curter still.

From The Secret of the Night by Leroux, Gaston

Saxham's patients found him even curter and more brusque in manner than usual that evening, and the article for the Scientific Review made little way.

From The Dop Doctor by Dehan, Richard

The woman’s voice was curter, and the uninviting muzzle of a bull-terrier was thrust out between the door and the woman’s skirts.

From Seven Miles to Arden by Sawyer, Ruth

Maybe the possessive form of address: "Mon general," "mon capitaine," helps the idea, which our men cloke in other and curter phrases.

From France at War On the Frontier of Civilization by Kipling, Rudyard

Luis Enrique thought for a couple of seconds, looked straight back at the questioner, and gave the curtest of replies.

From Fox News ● Jul. 5, 2021

He came from behind a sea of maps to grant the curtest interview I have ever had.

From Time Magazine Archive

Back would come my third effort with the curtest of refusals.

From Not George Washington — an Autobiographical Novel by Wodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville)

At the bottom of the Row they stopped, shook hands, and with the curtest of nods parted.

From The Four Feathers by Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)

The curtest, least graphic description of the biting days and nights in the trenches set the lad shivering.

From The Four Feathers by Mason, A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley)