as in abbreviation
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as in reducing
to make less in extent or duration
we decided to shorten the distance we had to walk home by cutting across the neighbor's lawn if Grandma has to go shopping today, you'll need to shorten your visit
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shortening
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 June 2026
Cut in butter or shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
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Kelly Brant,
Arkansas Online,
16 June 2026
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
In May, the Nasdaq adjusted its rules to allow for the faster inclusion of mega IPOs like SpaceX into the Nasdaq 100, shortening the window to 15 days from three months before eligibility for inclusion.
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John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortening
Noun
Make a simple cake batter using self-rising flour, eggs, buttermilk, shortening, and sugar.
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Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 June 2026
Cut in butter or shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
—
Kelly Brant,
Arkansas Online,
16 June 2026
Verb
The team believes the approach could provide chip designers with a platform for predicting transistor performance and scaling limits before fabrication begins, potentially shortening development cycles for future AI and high-performance computing chips.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
In May, the Nasdaq adjusted its rules to allow for the faster inclusion of mega IPOs like SpaceX into the Nasdaq 100, shortening the window to 15 days from three months before eligibility for inclusion.
—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortening
Noun
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The abbreviation dates to the early 20th century, and the spelling emcee emerged as the spoken form became a standalone noun and verb, meaning to host or present an event.
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Rod Stewart recently had trouble breathing on stage Richie's concert abbreviation comes days after another music icon appeared to struggle on stage.
Verb
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Manucurist formulates its masks with panthenol, a form of vitamin B5, to hydrate and strengthen dry nails over time, reducing breakage.
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Even tiny electromagnetic disturbances can disrupt the quantum states that perform calculations, reducing the accuracy and reliability of the system.
Noun
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This can reduce the strain on the electric grid and help prevent the need for involuntary power curtailment or power brownouts, Holran notes.
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Similar concerns were raised about the merger of the SAG and AFTRA health plans in 2017, which was followed by a significant curtailment in benefits a few years later.
Verb
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But by the time Forrest reaches age 10, when dogs become eligible for Loyal’s pill, those defenses will more often misfire and fail to stop not just cancer but also other life-abbreviating ailments.
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Edo also followed Prince William and Kate Middleton's lead with the sweet sign off for his latest social post by abbreviating the children's first names with their initials to send an online message.
Noun
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Three years in, a contracting partner pulled him into a bear hug at a holiday party, tears in his eyes, telling him how much being part of it meant.
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Details remain sketchy, but among the benefits touted by supporters is that the department would enjoy contracting and procurement powers theoretically free from mayoral influence and could put violence interrupters and other CVI workers on the city payroll for the first time.
Verb
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Those who show up late or not at all get removal orders, further truncating the already limited due process available to immigrants.
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After three years of closures that shuttered different sections of Highway 1, truncating the 100-mile drive between Carmel and Cambria, the area has seen a surge in tourism that officials want to ensure doesn’t overrun the area.
Noun
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Director-level and above roles continued to show relative strength, growing faster than the broader market, while junior and mid-level hiring recovered only after prior contraction.
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The National Bureau of Economic Research dates the contraction that began in 1929 as ending in March 1933, though the broader Depression lasted for years and the economy suffered another severe recession in 1937-38 before World War II.
Verb
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At the same time, hot and dry conditions in some states are creating dangerously flammable conditions and curtailing big celebrations.
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And, even if Díaz-Canel again invited Cubans abroad to invest in the country and promised a new legal framework to protect investments, Cuba’s repressive laws curtailing citizen rights, including property rights, are still in place.
Cite this Entry
“Shortening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortening. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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