1
as in deal
a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation
accused her of breaking their contract by not completing the decorating job on budget
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in agreement
an arrangement about action to be taken
a contract outlining what needed to be done by each person
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to get
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shrink
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
metal contracts at low temperatures
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to compress
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 to bargain
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of contract
Colin Jones, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
Under its new contract with ICE, Avelo will operate as a sub-carrier of CSI.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2025
Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
The Context During the pandemic, the largest urban areas in the U.S. saw decreases in population, as people left cities in an attempt to avoid areas of high population density, where contracting COVID was more likely.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contract
Noun
With that signal, the hulking bureaucracy of the U.S. military began to reorient itself, shifting the defense budget, training manuals, weapons contracts, and military strategy to focus on the Pacific theatre.
—Colin Jones, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
Under its new contract with ICE, Avelo will operate as a sub-carrier of CSI.
—Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
Lithium-ion batteries have a finite amount of charges in them as the electrodes can only expand and contract so many times (this is the process of charging and discharging).
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
The Context During the pandemic, the largest urban areas in the U.S. saw decreases in population, as people left cities in an attempt to avoid areas of high population density, where contracting COVID was more likely.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contract
Noun
-
The downgrading of the talks comes at a critical time, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington could walk away if there was no progress on a deal soon.—
Elizabeth Piper,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
So far, Trump has not met with China's president Xi Jinping, the WSJ reported, which will be essential to inking a deal.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The agreement also has a joint research component where both companies will study and assess the actual effects of AI on professional tax preparation, with the goal of creating scalable solutions for future AI apps and solutions.—
Tor Constantino, MBA,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The discussion of the spending imbalance only figures to intensify as the clock ticks on the collective bargaining agreement, which expires after next season.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Otherwise, a ton of talented players got to achieve their dreams this weekend.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Apr. 2025
-
After the performances are over and this year's inductees are revealed, viewers will get the chance to vote for their favorite contestants before eliminations.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And the performance gap between American and Japanese horses is shrinking.—
Peter Keating,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
For a short period during the chaos of the early pandemic, the state’s estimates started to diverge from the national estimates for California’s population, but that gap has shrunk as the two sources have largely re-aligned.—
Harriet Blair Rowan,
Mercury News,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
Streaming services compress the audio more vigorously than is common in physical media, which can cause problems with intelligibility.—
Samuel Axon,
ArsTechnica,
25 Apr. 2025
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Treatment for groin strains includes rest, icing, compressing the affected area, and taking pain medications.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Some agencies, including the FBI, are exempt from a law requiring federal agencies to bargain with labor organizations over employment matters.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Start from there and use your relative strengths to bargain up.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There is no magic formula for how to get this right, and there is no guarantee that Trump’s approach will succeed.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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As for who might succeed Francis, experts say that since the late pope appointed many cardinals, his successor could be someone who shares his ideas and vision for the church, but there's no guarantee.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The company also struck a new distribution pact with DirecTV and expanded its portfolio of sports rights, securing the rights to broadcast the Olympics in Mexico through 2032.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
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The leaders signed new pacts covering railways, trade, security, and technology, including plans for a Kenyan consulate in Guangzhou.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contract. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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