as in shortening
to make less in extent or duration
had to abbreviate his vacation in France in order to travel to Oslo to receive the Nobel Prize
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Recent Examples of abbreviating
Edo also followed Prince William and Kate Middleton's lead with the sweet sign off for his latest social post by abbreviating the children's first names with their initials to send an online message.
—
Janine Henni, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Janine Henni, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abbreviating
shortening
Verb
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Melting sea ice has opened new shipping lanes, including the Northern Sea Route, dramatically shortening transit times between Europe and Asia.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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Speed, in this context, is less about haste and more about shortening the feedback loop between insight and application.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abbreviating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abbreviating. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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