as in compression
the act or process of reducing the size or volume of something by or as if by pressing
most substances undergo contraction when cooled
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contraction
Experts warn that the island’s economic contraction has pushed Cuba into its most perilous state since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, its former economic sponsor and political protector.
—
Sarah Fitzpatrick, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
First and foremost, the writers need to address their health and pension funds, which have been operating in a deficit for the last several years amid the global industry contraction.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
The Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet demonstrates the contraction of the convertible marketplace.
—Jason Fogelson, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Goldman Sachs predicts double-digit GDP contractions for Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE not far behind.
—Hadley Gamble, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contraction
Sarah Fitzpatrick, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
First and foremost, the writers need to address their health and pension funds, which have been operating in a deficit for the last several years amid the global industry contraction.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
The Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet demonstrates the contraction of the convertible marketplace.
—Jason Fogelson, AJC.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Goldman Sachs predicts double-digit GDP contractions for Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE not far behind.
—Hadley Gamble, semafor.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraction
Noun
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While compression reduces memory traffic and GPU-hours required per workload, lower costs per token could spur greater usage, potentially offsetting some of the demand impact.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
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Make your socks work for you with compression essentials designed to support circulation and comfort.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Concacaf is not the only confederation squeezing games into FIFA windows around the club calendar.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Hassan’s team instead squeezed a photon’s intensity and demonstrated real-time control, fluctuating between intensity and phase-squeezing by adjusting the silica’s position relative to the beams.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Several news outlets, including Politico, have previously reported on aspects of Lewandowski’s involvement in contracting at DHS.—
Joshua Kaplan,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
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Nearly half of the spending had not been posted, as required, to the state’s contracting database.—
Martin Dyckman,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The facility had heavy ice condensation in the one door upright freezer.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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This rapid change in temperature creates condensation, which is why your lawn is often glistening with dew on spring and summer mornings.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Infielder Juliette Merrilees batted next and delivered a safety squeeze down the first base line to tie the game 4-4.—
Tony Gleason,
Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
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In addition to tilt and pressure sensitivity, the Apple Pencil Pro adds squeeze and delete functions to the palette, along with a new barrel roll gesture and haptic vibrational feedback.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lungs Starting at around 9,000 feet, your lungs may begin to swell due to a constriction of blood vessels, which can cause fluid to leak and accumulate.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
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Egypt as a state of mind The Hebrew name for Egypt, Mitzrayim, shares a root with the word for narrowness or constriction.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Contraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraction. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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