contracted 1 of 2

contracted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of contract
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as in agreed
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action the farmer contracted for delivery of the hay by the first of July

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contracted
Verb
And while China’s personal luxury market has contracted by as much as 5% in 2025, according to consulting firm Bain & Company, certain high-value items are increasingly popular in netizen lore. CNN Money, 8 July 2026 Formed through Mnet’s survival show Boys Planet in 2023, the nine-member act was originally contracted for two and a half years, with activities scheduled to conclude in January 2026. Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 The largest number of cases contracted in the United States are in New York, Illinois, Texas and Michigan, where nearly 1,000 cases have been identified as of July 8 (online CDC data has not been updated to reflect Michigan cases). Eva Flowe july 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026 Ava Gardner, The Secret Conversations The actress was contracted to write a memoir, but after hours of conversation with her ghostwriter, changed her mind; this book is drawn from those tapes. Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026 It’s generally not spread from person to person; rather, it’s contracted by inhaling mist that contains Legionella bacteria, per the CDC. Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026 As of June 16, 145 people across 17 states had contracted the infection after eating food in the United States. Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 2 July 2026 Two of the band’s shows in Fort Worth, scheduled for June 30 and July 2, are now occurring on July 11 and July 13, respectively, as Lee has contracted the unenviable combination of laryngitis and bronchitis. Devon Ivie, Vulture, 1 July 2026 Prior to the measles vaccine, nearly all American children contracted the highly contagious viral disease by age 15, according to the NIH. Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contracted
Adjective
  • Under sustained acceleration, leadership teams frequently start operating within more compressed decision cycles where immediate demands dominate attention and time for reflection gradually shrinks.
    ByPaul L. Gunn, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The compressed script and the snippety editing sometimes lead to unintended comedy, as in a scene where Maxine watches Christine, the seamstress, work.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
Verb
  • Three players who logged heavy minutes in the two previous games -- Vlad Goldin, Jahmir Young and Trevor Keels -- got the night off.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • And the Dodgers got another shot, with Pages on second to start the inning.
    Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • And somewhere while building all of that, the ambition behind it shrank to fit a spreadsheet.
    Jonathan Weeks, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • For years, many watched as their children’s worlds shrank to whatever destinations Mom or Dad had time to drive them, as kids’ use of traditional bicycles gradually declined.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • Since their relationship became public in 2023, the couple has squeezed romance into tour schedules, football obligations and rare breaks from two of the most demanding careers in entertainment and sports.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Minerals are not the only sector that have been squeezed as result of the fuel crunch stemming from the Iran war; regular consumers are seeing prices at the petrol pump and supermarkets rise as well.
    Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • More than 90% agreed or strongly agreed that scent work is enjoyable for dogs, tires them out and builds confidence in shy dogs.
    Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
  • The trade was agreed to shortly before midnight on June 22 prior to being formalized on Monday.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
Adjective
  • Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, extract, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 27 June 2026
  • The gallery presents a condensed history of blue-and-white ceramics globally in dishes, starting in the Middle East with a 9th century Iraqi piece.
    Stephanie Shih June 17, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Nguyen said that led to an epiphany — and the creation of an Atlanta-area business that has caught the attention of social media scrollers, celebrity clientele and global automakers.
    Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
  • Tyler officially caught the singing bug after placing second at the talent show hosted by a local rugby club.
    Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Verb
  • Only two items tracked by the Farm Bureau decreased in price in 2026.
    Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Procurement and Obsolescence Savings At one company, obsolescence in both raw materials and finished goods decreased by 30%.
    Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Contracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contracted. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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