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

Officials said the overall risk of contracting measles is low for people who are fully vaccinated. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 The Department of Defense is piloting a new tech contracting model, where companies can work at automating department processes and earn a percentage of the savings. — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2026 Investigators accused him of obstruction of justice, unlawful contracting and, among other things, claiming $127,630 in expenses linked to fictitious missions and plane tickets for nearly a dozen trips. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 The people who were in the area of the fire and the injured person all worked for Ford's contracting company Leadec Industrial Services, Elliott said. — Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026 His objection is not foreign investment but opaque contracting. — Tibisay Zea, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2026 On the development and production side, Lumicraft’s AI casting tool Castlink pairs actor discovery with contracting and settlement, while Reproduction’s Pre-Flow handles screenplay analysis and production data sharing. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 State lawmakers passed new rules as part of the 2026 Senate Appropriations Act that ban state or local agencies from using race-conscious or gender-conscious goals in contracting. — Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 24 Aug. 2026 The new project-funding system was described by a contracting officer during an April meeting with NPS officials. — Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026

Verb

The economy is contracting and growing more unequal, leaving a large underclass too poor to participate meaningfully in the new private sector. — Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026 The North Carolina teenager who died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba called Naegleria fowleri was likely infected from a water feature at a community center, according to state and local officials. — Victoria Arancio, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index showed new orders and output both returned to expansion in August after contracting in July. — Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 Earlier this year, the FDA approved a new medicine, XOCOVA, to prevent people from contracting the virus after exposure. — Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026 The measles virus is one of the most contagious infectious diseases; so contagious, in fact, that 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed end up contracting it. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 The bill defines a brand guarantor broadly as anyone contracting for garment manufacturing, including through a brand or name-licensing arrangement. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026 As firefighters age out and leave the fire service, the remaining responders manage contracting departments, but a consistent call volume leads to a higher burnout rate, Elliott said. — Julia Levine, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026 Cooking kills many foodborne pathogens, so eating raw corn inherently carries a slightly higher risk of contracting a foodborne illness. — Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 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

Underwood, the five-star recruit from the Detroit area who commanded a multimillion-dollar name, image and likeness deal to sign with Michigan, had completed only 11 passes before getting a last-second reprieve.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The priority, however, is getting Ohtani back to himself on the offensive side before the postseason — whether that means a couple days off or more than a week.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of getting

Verb

The result is an entire ocean’s worth of wind and waves all compressing together to get through what is a seriously small bottleneck.

— KC Baker, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
The space between those points is the organization’s window for intervention, and AI is compressing it across a growing share of business processes.

— Jay Limburn, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of compressing

Verb

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
The California Gig Workers Union hopes to begin bargaining by the end of the year, CalMatters reported.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of bargaining

Noun

The medium compression is just enough to provide a little tummy control, without leaving me feeling squeezed after lunch.

— Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 3 Sep. 2026
The flattering design features a contoured waistband and medium compression for a shaping and lifting effect throughout.

— Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of compression

Verb

Smith answered Saturday against Ball State, catching eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns — all before halftime — and striking the pose after his second score.

— Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
An angler could have a ton of fun catching bluegills under the lights with fly fishing gear.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of catching

Verb

Little brown bats can similarly reduce their metabolic demands by going Dracula for months at a time, decreasing their body temperatures by more than fifty degrees Fahrenheit and slowing their respiration to a handful of breaths an hour.

— Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
The steadiest and most widespread coverage of any rain should be early in the day with the coverage decreasing during the afternoon and evening.

— Rachael Jay, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2026