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

With buyback volume contracting sharply, this mechanical support for earnings per share wanes, requiring companies to rely on actual profit expansion to drive per share earnings higher. — CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026 The amendment covers public employment, education, contracting and administration. — Eric Henderson, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026 The Prop 1 and Prop 2 ballot questions aim to speed up restaurant approvals and reform nonprofit contracting and procurement, respectively. — Matt Jozwiak, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026 The financial impact of other changes, including contracting rules and mortgaging city property, could not be quantified. — Teresa Liu, Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026 Bean, who has a background in general contracting, was not available for an interview. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026 These scaly reptiles move by alternating contracting muscles on either side of their body. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026 Marlin Stoltzfus is a contractor and the owner of MKS Construction LLC and has over 20 years of experience in roofing, general contracting, remodeling, and new home construction. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 28 Oct. 2026 One woman, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from the nursing home, claimed her mother ended up contracting sepsis and nearly died because staff neglected to oversee her needs. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 27 Oct. 2026

Verb

An infant in southwestern Wisconsin has died after contracting measles, the state's first death from the disease in 36 years, state officials announced Thursday. — Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026 On Monday, the New York State Department of Health announced that a child had died after contracting measles. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026 That means anyone that launches a spacecraft aboard a Chinese rocket may have trouble subsequently contracting with NASA or the Space Force. — Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026 The individual, who had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized with severe illness after contracting avian influenza through exposure to infected livestock at a local dairy facility. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026 Lily died in 2018, shortly before her sixth birthday, after contracting EEHV. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2026 Proposal 2 streamlines contracting with the city so that a hot dog cart and a multibillion-dollar conglomerate don’t both have to fill out the same paperwork. — Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026 After contracting the plague, he was banished to a cave, where a dog brought him bread and healed his wounds by licking them. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026 At a time when the supply of commercial rockets is contracting, demand for satellite launch is soaring, from megaconstellation operators such as Amazon to a flurry of small satellite startups. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 30 Oct. 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

Definition of squeezing

Verb

Now, Tan-Gillespie is tasked with getting KFC’s American business back on track as the brand faces growing competition paired with more health-conscious and cash-strapped consumers.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Before Rover, success meant getting promotions, landing bigger clients and climbing the corporate ladder.

— Sally Simmons, Contributor, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of getting

Verb

Even in an era of shrinking media presence, Hurley stepped up onto the dais after a recent practice and saw two dozen reporters, with a battery of cameras.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Metroid's fate feels equally in the balance right now, and in a world where game studios are closing down and rivals like Microsoft are shrinking their focus to big-hitter franchises, Nintendo could easily let Metroid fall back into obscurity.

— Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of shrinking

Verb

Laser fusion follows another route, compressing and heating a tiny fuel pellet so reactions occur before the fuel disperses.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Glaciers could re-form if carbon pollution declines substantially and temperatures drop enough to enable snowfall to build year-round, eventually compressing again into glacial ice, but that may take several hundred years, Menounos added.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of compressing

Verb

Equity and Casa Bonita management have been bargaining since April 2025, with the union meeting with management at least once a month, Hoeschen said.

— Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026
Yet one or more of the P5 could inject new names at the last minute, once again leaving the decision to behind-the-scenes bargaining among a few powerful states.

— Ian Johnstone, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of bargaining

Noun

Located inside The Mark, the space will offer a menu of holistic treatments, connecting the mind and body through state of the art facials, red light therapy, medical-grade compression boots and more.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
That compression is what makes the phase three moment tradable inside every current fund horizon.

— Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of compression

Verb

Peltola is a gun-owning, fish-catching Alaska-bush native, who has worked for mines and supports oil drilling, and is allied with the state’s largest labor unions.

— Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
But for audiences outside North America, catching Nathan Fielder’s three-hour documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes — now expected to be a major player in awards season — has become a frustrating waiting game.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

Her priorities include lowering costs by expanding Medicaid, fully funded pre-kindergarten and decreasing property taxes in a sustainable way.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
Black representation is already decreasing at City Hall, a concern among some Black community leaders.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026