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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in getting
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shrinking
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
metal contracts at low temperatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of contracting
Terri Gerstein, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2026
Is the company expanding or contracting?
—Vicki Salemi, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
The emergency proclamation will allow the city to address the erosion issue more quickly by streamlining contracting and permitting processes.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
There are traditional avenues for a contracting party to try to escape a contract, though whether a player would be able to draw on any is uncertain.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The contractors would be given batches of 50,000 names at a time, and are expected to provide photos of homes and workplaces, according to federal contracting data.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
This month, the number of those businesses that are certified for preference in state contracting dropped again, extending a 17-month downward trend.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
Because state agencies did not record nearly half of the spending in the state’s online contracting database, reporters tracked the money by tracing 29-digit account codes and 6-digit object codes across three state databases.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
No, the executive had simply resigned himself to the contracting Hollywood this all represented.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025
Kendrick Calfee
january 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley died on June 30 at his home in Kent, England, after contracting COVID and pneumonia.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Previously, Kim said on Instagram that his son was hospitalized after contracting a severe case of the flu.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 1 Jan. 2026
For those who end up contracting the virus, there are treatments that may help reduce the duration of a person's symptoms or severity of illness.
—Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2025
With Chair Powell’s December 10 admission of a 60,000 monthly overcount, the labor market has actually been contracting by 20,000 jobs per month since April.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
In addition to being immoral, CFA’s support for BDS likely violates state law, AB 2844, which prohibits California from contracting with entities that engage in discrimination, including against Jews or Israelis.
—Mark Pinkert, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
Preventive antibiotics can reduce your likelihood of contracting whooping cough if you get exposed.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Dec. 2025
This month, the agency published Level 2 alerts concerning the risk of contracting the chikungunya virus in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cuba, and China.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
Noun
The mayor’s team should infuse job quality considerations throughout the contracting process, including working extensively with procurement officials.
—Terri Gerstein, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2026
Is the company expanding or contracting?
—Vicki Salemi, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
The emergency proclamation will allow the city to address the erosion issue more quickly by streamlining contracting and permitting processes.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
There are traditional avenues for a contracting party to try to escape a contract, though whether a player would be able to draw on any is uncertain.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The contractors would be given batches of 50,000 names at a time, and are expected to provide photos of homes and workplaces, according to federal contracting data.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
This month, the number of those businesses that are certified for preference in state contracting dropped again, extending a 17-month downward trend.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 28 Dec. 2025
Because state agencies did not record nearly half of the spending in the state’s online contracting database, reporters tracked the money by tracing 29-digit account codes and 6-digit object codes across three state databases.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
No, the executive had simply resigned himself to the contracting Hollywood this all represented.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
According to chief medical officers in the health system, KU Med’s hospitals are facing operational challenges with high patient counts and staff contracting the flu while treating patients.
—Kendrick Calfee
january 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
Star Wars actor Kenneth Colley died on June 30 at his home in Kent, England, after contracting COVID and pneumonia.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
Previously, Kim said on Instagram that his son was hospitalized after contracting a severe case of the flu.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 1 Jan. 2026
For those who end up contracting the virus, there are treatments that may help reduce the duration of a person's symptoms or severity of illness.
—Dr. Jade Cobern, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2025
With Chair Powell’s December 10 admission of a 60,000 monthly overcount, the labor market has actually been contracting by 20,000 jobs per month since April.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
In addition to being immoral, CFA’s support for BDS likely violates state law, AB 2844, which prohibits California from contracting with entities that engage in discrimination, including against Jews or Israelis.
—Mark Pinkert, Oc Register, 23 Dec. 2025
Preventive antibiotics can reduce your likelihood of contracting whooping cough if you get exposed.
—Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Dec. 2025
This month, the agency published Level 2 alerts concerning the risk of contracting the chikungunya virus in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cuba, and China.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contracting
Noun
-
Hassan’s team instead squeezed a photon’s intensity and demonstrated real-time control, fluctuating between intensity and phase-squeezing by adjusting the silica’s position relative to the beams.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If Carolina is thinking about the big picture, giving Coker the extra year, perhaps valued as a first- or second-round tender, is just getting ahead of a formality.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Chief among them is getting to be a mentor to newer cast members, such as Marcello Hernández.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Unfortunately, shrinking happens in the laundry much too easily, but fortunately, unshrinking is almost just as easy.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The good news is, even if your home has relatively low ceilings, there are ways to add unique architectural details without shrinking the room.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Outside the dome, a series of machines connected by undulating pipes moves the CO2 out of the dome for compressing and condensing.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Always, understanding comes from pinpointing the relevant factors and forgetting the rest, from compressing nature’s endless intricacies into a human-readable story about the universe.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
On December 31, the unions filed with the State of California, alleging unfair labor practices by Solano County and arguing that Solano is not bargaining in good faith.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The announcement comes after resort ownership and its patrollers union, which have been bargaining since June, reached an impasse in negotiations.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
24 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This impressive deal only applies to the six-piece set, which includes five compression packing cubes and one drawstring bag in select colors.—
Emily Belfiore,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Shortly after, viewers see chest compressions being performed on Jo as Link (Chris Carmack) prays in a church surrounded by candles.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Before catching the ball, Siakam set a screen for Andrew Nembhard in a pick-and-roll.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Furthermore, the zeitgeist-catching hockey drama Heated Rivalry will launch exclusively in each market.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For women, this meant decreasing intake to about 400 to 600 calories three days per week, while men reduced calories to around 500 to 700.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
9 Jan. 2026
-
An expensive habit with a decreasing ROI.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contracting. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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