contracted 1 of 2

adjective

as in squeezed

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contracted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of contract
1
as in got
to become affected with (a disease or disorder) before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio

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2
as in compressed
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter metal contracts at low temperatures

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3
as in condensed
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together contract the calf muscles in your legs

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4
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

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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
According to the health department, the patient contracted the virus after spending time outdoors in the city and several locations outside the city. — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 The forecast becomes a construction schedule, and Anthropic's construction schedule is contracted, dated, and public. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Nearly 2,500 people have contracted measles this year as anti-vax rhetoric has pushed MMR vaccination rates below the community protection threshold. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 17 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, the star's inert core contracted and became a white dwarf. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Some of these are contracted overseas, while others are seemingly settling in for the long haul. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Boyle contracted Planet Green Cremations to care for her son’s remains. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 To meet growing demand, Ukraine’s Defense Procurement Agency (DOT) contracted 1,500 motorcycles in 2026. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026 Cyclosporiasis is caused by a microscopic parasite and is usually contracted by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite; it is not spread directly from person to person like a typical stomach virus. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contracted
  1. compressed
  2. got
  3. shrank
  4. squeezed
  5. agreed
  6. condensed
  7. caught
  8. decreased
Adjective
  • The difference likely is multifold and surely part of a cumulative effect of compressed offseasons after playing 21 postseason games in the previous seven seasons.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The special primary, which took place just a month after Lindsey Graham's death, meant a compressed and sometimes chaotic campaign for the 10 candidates who ran to replace him.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of compressed
Verb
  • No inside linebacker got more work on Friday than Murdock, whose 47 snaps were 13 more than any other player who saw the field defensively for the Broncos.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Wyatt Olds made his major league debut for Boston and got his first career strikeout.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of got
Verb
  • As the Danube waters shrank in Bulgaria, researchers were thrilled to find and recover a jawbone, tusks, a shoulder blade, ribs and other bone fragments belonging to an extinct woolly mammoth buried deep in the sand.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The value of the Public Investment Fund’s assets under management shrank $10 billion last year to around $900 billion, according to its 2025 annual report.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrank
Verb
  • Silver is now in its fifth straight year of structural deficit, squeezed by solar, electric vehicles, and the hardware powering AI.
    — Rob Kaplan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Affordability does not improve when Washington adds trillions to the debt while working families are still getting squeezed.
    — Terry Collins, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • The reports about the Buss family’s stake comes a few days after Lakers owner Mark Walter suddenly agreed to sell the team to Kushner and Iger last week amid a federal fraud investigation, giving them a roughly 65% stake in the team.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Buss family agreed to sell the Lakers to Dodgers owner Mark Walter at a $10 billion valuation.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of agreed
Adjective
  • While cake is cooling, whisk together cold water, sweetened condensed milk, and pudding mix in a large bowl until smooth.
    — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 13 July 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
Definition of condensed
Verb
  • The hotel embraces a farm-to-table philosophy, supplementing the produce grown on the estate with purchases from nearby farms and fish caught each morning in the waters surrounding Menorca.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • West Nile virus is not contagious and can only be caught by being bitten by an infected mosquito, health officials say.
    — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of caught
Verb
  • While gasoline demand has decreased, AAA says, citing data from the Energy Information Administration, supply and production also decreased.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • But while demand for the nifty two-seater has substantially decreased, the CX-5 has thrived.
    — James Raia, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of decreased

Browse Nearby Words

contract
contracted
contracted (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Contracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contracted. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of contracted for Spanish Speakers

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