as in squeezing
the act or process of reducing the size or volume of something by or as if by pressing
the constant constricting of the animal's throat had caused permanent damage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in shrinking
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
the vessel constricted, thereby reducing the flow of blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in compressing
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
constricted the opening with a clamp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of constricting
Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Howard and her team got the company to redesign the uniform after about a year of trying, swapping the constricting top for a looser one.
—Starre Vartan, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025
Toddlers and babies especially might especially appreciate a break from their constricting seat, and a change in scenery, by talking a walk up and down the aisles with mom or dad.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
Its space is at once endless and constricting.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Wildlife art can be confining, constricting, customary; contemporary artists are assuring its survival and vibrancy by breaking from the traditional.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Some felt trapped, too, in constricting gender roles.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Outside the obscure realm of IEEPA, the Court’s conservative majority can—and almost certainly will—continue to expand presidential power while constricting agencies’ regulatory authority.
—David Pozen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
The belly panel is stretchy enough for your bump to grow and isn’t too constricting.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
The half zip gave temperature control and the relaxed fit never felt constricting.
—Anna Callaghan, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
The downside is that following instructions or tutorials may feel unusually constricting.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Frostbite occurs due to your blood vessels constricting due to the cold.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
The long-sleeve top has a close fit without being constricting, and the wide-leg sweatpants have a drawstring waistband and two side pockets.
—Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Noun
The straight pair has a snug fit that’s not too tight or constricting.
—Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 15 Feb. 2026
Howard and her team got the company to redesign the uniform after about a year of trying, swapping the constricting top for a looser one.
—Starre Vartan, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025
Toddlers and babies especially might especially appreciate a break from their constricting seat, and a change in scenery, by talking a walk up and down the aisles with mom or dad.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
Its space is at once endless and constricting.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Wildlife art can be confining, constricting, customary; contemporary artists are assuring its survival and vibrancy by breaking from the traditional.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
That inconsistency is particularly striking in Florida, a state that has pushed to expand medical freedom for those who wish to avoid vaccines or fluoridated water, while constricting the rights of people in various stages of pregnancy.
—CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026
Some felt trapped, too, in constricting gender roles.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Outside the obscure realm of IEEPA, the Court’s conservative majority can—and almost certainly will—continue to expand presidential power while constricting agencies’ regulatory authority.
—David Pozen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
The belly panel is stretchy enough for your bump to grow and isn’t too constricting.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
The half zip gave temperature control and the relaxed fit never felt constricting.
—Anna Callaghan, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
The downside is that following instructions or tutorials may feel unusually constricting.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Frostbite occurs due to your blood vessels constricting due to the cold.
—Ron Smiley, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
The long-sleeve top has a close fit without being constricting, and the wide-leg sweatpants have a drawstring waistband and two side pockets.
—Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 18 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constricting
Noun
-
Concacaf is not the only confederation squeezing games into FIFA windows around the club calendar.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Too often, workers change jobs and cash out small accounts rather than rolling them over — permanently shrinking their retirement nest egg.—
Chris Mahoney,
Fortune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Even as documentary producers warn of tightening financing and shrinking commissioning budgets, the pipeline of new films shows little sign of slowing.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Beyond conversion, AcePDF offers editing tools such as merging and splitting PDFs, compressing large files, extracting images, adding annotations, and creating interactive forms.—
StackCommerce Team,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
-
That pressure pushes down on the air underneath it, compressing and heating it.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
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
-
Make your socks work for you with compression essentials designed to support circulation and comfort.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Step Back The core Pentagon automation technology for targeting is Palantir’s Maven Smart System, which allows military personnel to plan strikes by clicking, dragging, and dropping in a single program, condensing hours or days of work into minutes.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Organizers say condensing the South by Southwest Conference and Festival to one weekend for 2026 will increase discovery of new music as attendees from the tech leg of the conference can now partake in the concerts.—
Ramon Ramirez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jet fuel availability and prices have become a major factor in the rapid price hike, with the constrictions of oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz doubling jet fuel prices 94 percent over pre-war levels.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Mar. 2026
-
This smoothing tank top is made from a soft material that form-fits to the body and offers compression without constriction.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The situation mirrors a recent case in Sweetwater, where hundreds of families were also displaced under similar terms, with financial incentives decreasing the longer residents wait to leave.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Higher rates can help tame inflation and allow savers to earn more interest on their accounts, while lower rates can help stimulate the economy by decreasing borrowing costs.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Several news outlets, including Politico, have previously reported on aspects of Lewandowski’s involvement in contracting at DHS.—
Joshua Kaplan,
ProPublica,
24 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Constricting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constricting. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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