CONTRACTING Synonyms: 131 Similar and Opposite Words

contracting 1 of 2

noun

as in squeezing

the act or process of reducing the size or volume of something by or as if by pressing the contracting of the time frame for the primaries tends to favor candidates who are already well-known

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contracting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of contract

as in getting

to become affected with (a disease or disorder) before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio

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as in shrinking

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

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as in compressing

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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as in bargaining

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 contracting

Noun

Eric Richins owned a lucrative contracting business, and Kouri Richins worked as a real estate agent, buying and flipping houses. —

Natalie Morales, CBS News, 24 May 2026 Along with contracting writers, sites often depend on user submissions as well, sometimes generating thousands of content pieces per day. —

Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2026 It’s designed to diffuse special-interest power and eliminate politics from municipal hiring, firing and contracting. —

Daniel Borenstein, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 Under pressure from the Office of the Legislative Auditor, the Minnesota Department of Human Services declined to continue backing the two programs with a federal mental health block grant without first opening contracting opportunities to other providers through a competitive application process. —

Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 18 May 2026 Government contracting and education From 2008 until 2010, Witt was employed as a government contractor but worked with AFOSI. —

Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026 In Illinois, the risk of contracting hantavirus remains very low, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. —

Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2026 The Space Force has inked contracts with emerging space companies—non-traditional primes, in military contracting parlance—to buy services, manufacture satellites and payloads, and launch rockets. —

Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026 For tribes, federal contracting for everything from IT services to construction projects has long been seen as a stable revenue stream, particularly when multi-year contracts land in rural areas. —

Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 May 2026

Verb

The Metro Board in June 2024 agreed to establish an in-house public safety department and transition away from contracting with regional police agencies such as the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Long Beach Police Department. —

City News Service, Daily News, 28 May 2026 Participants who vacationed more frequently had a lower risk of contracting heart disease and diabetes. —

Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Just needs to avoid contracting Spurs-itis. —

Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 May 2026 The Red Cross announced on Saturday that three volunteers had died in the Democratic Republic of Congo after apparently contracting Ebola while on duty there in March. —

CBS News, 23 May 2026 Although some research indicates up to 20 percent of armadillos are infected in some areas, most experts believe the risk of contracting Hansen’s disease from armadillos is low. —

Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 May 2026 Carl Goldman, who spent a month in Omaha after contracting Covid-19 during a voyage on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in February 2020, also had a similar experience. —

Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 17 May 2026 Natalie Neysa Alund Olivier le Polain, unit head of epidemiology and analytics for response at the WHO, said cases continued to grow Monday due to length of symptom onset after contracting the virus. —

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 12 May 2026 As of May 9, three passengers — a Dutch couple and one German national — have died after contracting hantavirus, according to WHO. —

Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 10 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contracting

Noun

So scientists use frequency-dependent squeezing to reduce quantum noise.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026
Maenpaa added that the physical act of squeezing creates a sensory anchor.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026