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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Like the hoods of two cars in a traffic accident, the continents crunched together, simultaneously shortening and flexing.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
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For now, the way to cut back on ice for the stars on the team is to put games away and allow the coach to roll all four of his lines in the third period, instead of shortening the bench.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abbreviating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abbreviating. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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