The short version is...

Meaning

Used to provide a concise summary of a longer story.

Examples

• John: So, how did your meeting go?
• Alice: <b>The short version is...</b> we agreed to move forward with the project.
• John: That's good news! What were the key points?
• Alice: Well, <b>The short version is...</b> that after hours of discussion, we finally reached a compromise.