shrink-wrap

verb

ˈshriŋk-ˌrap How to pronounce shrink-wrap (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsriŋk-
shrink-wrapped; shrink-wrapping; shrink-wraps

transitive verb

: to wrap (something, such as a book or a piece of meat) in tough clear plastic film that is then shrunk (as by heating) to form a tightly fitting package
shrink-wrap noun

Examples of shrink-wrap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Seasoned Lamb Shoulder Rack This lamb shoulder has travelled from Australia to be with us, shrink-wrapped with a coating of herbs—thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, celery seed—and sesame seeds. Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 July 2025 Symbol 4 – Low-density polyethylene, or LDPE, is often used in plastic bags and shrink-wrap. Alex Jordan, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025 To seal a window using plastic shrink-wrap, follow these steps: Clean the window. Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Jan. 2025 The sweater is shrink-wrapped in a lump, giving it the look of a package of frozen fish. Mia Sato, The Verge, 19 Dec. 2024 Every day, people interact with various forms of food packaging, from shrink-wrap to plastic takeout containers. Becky Upham, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Sep. 2024 Vinyl itself is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic polymer, and often comes wrapped in single-use plastic shrink-wrap. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024 Billie Eilish recently spoke with Billboard about her decision to use 100% recycled vinyl, plus recycled scraps for colored variants and shrink-wrap packaging made from sugar cane, materials that Audiodrome is also using. Katie Bain, Billboard, 22 Apr. 2024 For context, the e-tail Goliath’s plastic packaging—think plastic mailers, plastic shrink-wrap, plastic bags and plastic bubble-wrap—totaled 709 million pounds in 2021, an 18 percent uptick from 2020, according to Oceana. Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrink-wrap was in 1959

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shrink-wrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrink-wrap. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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