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

Their victory comes despite the best efforts of Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), the head of the government contracting group Wardex, who has attempted to keep the existence of aliens hidden from the public. —

Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026 The risk of a human contracting the disease is higher for people experiencing homelessness or living in a space with rats or animal urine, per the CDC. —

Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026 Federal contracting data show that the Virginia firm Terra Site Constructors has been awarded roughly $60 million in contracts from the National Park Service to complete work on the various fountain rehabilitation projects across the city. —

Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 This process takes a customer from initial proposal through contracting, fulfillment, invoicing, and revenue recognition. —

Adrienne Down Coulson, Fortune, 2 June 2026 In April, the agency revealed a multi-year national contracting opportunity to embed AI skills into Registered Apprenticeship programs, including new tracks in roles that directly build, manage, or apply AI tools. —

Shalin Jyotishi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 SpaceX was one of nine companies selected in April to compete for SB-AMTI work through an Other Transaction Authority contracting framework. —

Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026 His office has also pointed to investigations that led to fraud prosecutions and policy changes involving homelessness programs, contracting practices and departmental oversight. —

Teresa Liu, Daily News, 29 May 2026 The process is so slow that a City Council committee held a hearing earlier this month essentially to turn up the heat on administration officials, who offered no explanation for the molasses-like contracting process other than platitudes. —

The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026

Verb

Public health staff said anyone who does not develop symptoms after 21 days is no longer considered at risk of contracting measles. —

Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 18 June 2026 The estate has a long, storied history under many family names, but in 1575, the Essenault family rechristened it by contracting their family name to Issan. —

Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 17 June 2026 The deaths of 42 babies were reported after contracting the disease between 2015 and 2025; 60% of those babies were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, per ABC News Australia. —

Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026 The number of people who received pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication, used to prevent those at risk from contracting HIV, declined by a drastic 38 percent between 2024 and 2025, per initial data from 62 countries — which means more than a million fewer people took the drug. —

Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 13 June 2026 They're pursued by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) and his agents at Wardex, the government contracting company that held all of the secrets to our history with alien visitors. —

Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026 Before contracting with Wesley, the city operated its warming center at the Aurora Transportation Center, starting in 2014. —

Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026 By contracting with providers to serve a higher number of clients, the city could get more people off the street while keeping costs proportionally low. —

Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026 Over a dozen cases of cats, who are highly susceptible to H5N1, contracting the virus from commercial food have been reported since 2024, according to the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. —

Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 June 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