Definition of shorten
shortened
;shortening
play \ˈshȯrt-niŋ, ˈshȯr-tən-iŋ\transitive verb
1a : to reduce the length or duration ofb : to cause to seem short
2a : 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
From the M-W Editors
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 of shorten from the Web
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Without an enclosure, the structure's elevator is also exposed and its service life may be shortened, according to the assessment.
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And Johnston earned the victory on the mound in a complete-game effort shortened by the 10-run mercy rule.
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Hastert is due for parole Aug. 16, but that date could come sooner — possibly in July — depending on factors such as good behavior that could shorten his sentence.
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In the lawsuit, Messer is accused of shortening the life of Hirsh by telling him chemotherapy treatments were unnecessary.
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Boger and colleagues are now working on shortening that process.
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An additional 44 are considering cutting instructional days by moving to a four-day week in the fall or by shortening the school year, the Oklahoma State School Boards Association found in a survey last month.
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Lange struck out seven and walked none over seven innings in a run-rule shortened 10-0 victory that moved LSU (41-17) into the SEC Tournament semifinal round Saturday, with the championship set for Sunday.
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The obvious explanation is the advent of jet aircraft, which shortened trips and put the entire globe within reach, says Robert Nelson, director of the Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond, which created the map.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shorten'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
14th Century
First Known Use of shorten
14th century
Synonym Discussion of shorten
SHORTEN Defined for English Language Learners
shorten
playDefinition of shorten for English Language Learners
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: to become shorter
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: to make (something) shorter
SHORTEN Defined for Kids
shorten
playDefinition of shorten for Students
shortened
;shortening
: to make or become short or shorter I shortened my trip.
Learn More about shorten
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See words that rhyme with shorten Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shorten Spanish Central: Translation of shorten Nglish: Translation of shorten for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shorten for Arabic speakers
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