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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Orion entered the atmosphere on a steeper trajectory, shortening the heat shield’s exposure time to extreme heating.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2026
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Key Takeaways Echinacea may lower your risk of catching a cold, while zinc is more effective at shortening the length of an existing virus.—
Megan Nunn,
Verywell Health,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abbreviating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abbreviating. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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