shorten

verb

short·​en ˈshȯr-tᵊn 

shortened; shortening ˈshȯrt-niŋ 

ˈshȯr-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1

a

: to reduce the length or duration of

b

: to cause to seem short

2

a

: to reduce in power or efficiency

is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem

—Isaiah 50:2 (Revised Standard Version)

b

obsolete : to deprive of effect

3

: to add fat to (something, such as pastry dough) in order to make tender and flaky

intransitive verb

: to become short or shorter

shortener

ˈshȯrt-nər

ˈshȯr-tᵊn-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• reduce
• curtail
• truncate
• abbreviate
• abridge
• cut back

Choose the Right Synonym for shorten

shorten, curtail, abbreviate, abridge, retrench mean to reduce in extent.

shorten implies reduction in length or duration.

shorten a speech

curtail adds an implication of cutting that in some way deprives of completeness or adequacy.

ceremonies curtailed because of rain

abbreviate implies a making shorter usually by omitting some part.

using an abbreviated title

abridge implies a reduction in compass or scope with retention of essential elements and a relative completeness in the result.

the abridged version of the novel

retrench suggests a reduction in extent or costs of something felt to be excessive.

declining business forced the company to retrench

Examples of shorten in a Sentence

shorten a pair of pants

He had to shorten the speech.

“Franklin D. Roosevelt” is often shortened to “FDR.”

Recent Examples on the Web

After the acquisition, Nordstrom pushed to expand the service yet to contain costs, instituted a $25 at-home try-on fee and shortened the return window, negatively impacting what male customers had come to expect. —Jennifer J. Fondrevay, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Hot weather speeds up chemical reactions inside your battery, which shortens its lifespan. —Bethany Wales, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2025

Votes are taken consecutively, and senators agree to shorten the window for votes from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, according to Hennessey. —James Powel, USA Today, 30 June 2025

The canal was hand-dug by enslaved people in the 1820s to shorten the route to the timber mill in Darien. —Jordan Charbonneau, Travel + Leisure, 30 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for shorten

• fortin
• horton

Kids Definition

shorten

verb

short·​en ˈshȯrt-ᵊn 

shortened; shortening ˈshȯrt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to make or become short or shorter

2

: to add shortening to (as pastry dough)

shortener

-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun