shrink from
phrasal verb
shrank from or shrunk from; shrunk from or shrunken from; shrinking from; shrinks from
: to try to avoid (something difficult or unpleasant) : to be unwilling to do (something)
He doesn't shrink from telling the truth, no matter how painful it may be.
She won't shrink from the task.
Examples of shrink from in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead of shrinking from scandal and behavior that could once have ended careers, politicians learn to exploit it.
—
Brandon Rottinghaus, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The audience shrank from about 100 to fewer than 20.
—Connye Griffin, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
Similarly, the portion of moderate Democrats has shrunk from 42% to 34%.
—Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
The bank blamed sluggish growth due to the labor supply shrinking from deportations, an aging population and fewer visas for workers and students.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrink from
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brandon Rottinghaus, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
The audience shrank from about 100 to fewer than 20.
—Connye Griffin, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
Similarly, the portion of moderate Democrats has shrunk from 42% to 34%.
—Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
The bank blamed sluggish growth due to the labor supply shrinking from deportations, an aging population and fewer visas for workers and students.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrink from
Cite this Entry
“Shrink from.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrink%20from. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share