as in abbreviated
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as in truncated
to make less in extent or duration
we decided to shorten the distance we had to walk home by cutting across the neighbor's lawn if Grandma has to go shopping today, you'll need to shorten your visit
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Recent Examples of shortened
Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The Longhorns made quick work of Ole Miss in a game shortened to five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 15 Mar. 2026
In an onstage conversation with Variety, Chalamet and actor Matthew McConaughey discussed people’s shortened attention spans and whether audiences need action upfront in film.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
By the 2050s, the study predicted ski seasons may have shortened by anywhere from 14 to 62 days, depending on what, if any steps, are taken to lower carbon emissions.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 2026
The film, which premiered in August 2024, was shortened, its color was enhanced, and it was stretched to expand across the interior of the dome.
—Holly Willis, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
That debate ramped up during the pandemic, when some studios shortened theatrical exclusivity periods in order to move films to release for video on demand or streaming.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Instead of slowly fading as expected, the luminosity oscillated downward while the time between each fluctuation shortened.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2026
The proposed route, once envisioned as stretching 15 miles, has been shortened and reconfigured, and could roll out by 2032.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
Not only is the taste of recent heartbreaks still on the tongue of many Arsenal fans, but there is also the manner in which the league leaders have been winning games this season, which has shortened the fingernails of the club’s fans.
—Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The Longhorns made quick work of Ole Miss in a game shortened to five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 15 Mar. 2026
In an onstage conversation with Variety, Chalamet and actor Matthew McConaughey discussed people’s shortened attention spans and whether audiences need action upfront in film.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
By the 2050s, the study predicted ski seasons may have shortened by anywhere from 14 to 62 days, depending on what, if any steps, are taken to lower carbon emissions.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 2026
The film, which premiered in August 2024, was shortened, its color was enhanced, and it was stretched to expand across the interior of the dome.
—Holly Willis, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
That debate ramped up during the pandemic, when some studios shortened theatrical exclusivity periods in order to move films to release for video on demand or streaming.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Instead of slowly fading as expected, the luminosity oscillated downward while the time between each fluctuation shortened.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2026
The proposed route, once envisioned as stretching 15 miles, has been shortened and reconfigured, and could roll out by 2032.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortened
Adjective
-
Ohtani threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in an abbreviated start.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Key Takeaways Small caps lead weekly gains, Russell 2000 jumps 3.5% Jobs report shows strength, but private sector lags behind Markets calm despite tariff uncertainty and Elon Musk drama Despite the abbreviated trading week, stocks posted decent gains.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Running routes get truncated, as those exercising must run laps within a radius of an accessible bomb shelter.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The first was truncated by a too many men penalty and the second one, at the end of the period, did not click at all and the B’s went into the third up by what felt like a slim goal.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Benfotiamine reduced harmful brain changes while improving memory in animal experiments.—
BenfoTeam,
Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Refresh cycles were designed to be repeatable, with quality checks that reduced noise and prevented unintended drift.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That's the abridged version of the tricky nature of prosecuting a murder case without a body.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
17 Jan. 2023
-
For theater owners, even the abridged period of theatrical exclusivity is considered a win.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2022
Verb
-
In 2025, compliance checks dropped sharply to 369 after department leaders curtailed overtime spending amid a broader city budget crunch.—
Tony Plohetski,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Haithcock said schools have been financially hamstrung since Act 10 – the Scott Walker-era landmark law in 2011 that curtailed union bargaining power and cut take-home pay for workers – especially amid declining student enrollment.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The pages flip like a Rolodex, doubling as a condensed history of evolving celebrity culture from old Hollywood to the counterculture of the ’70s and ’80s to the present day.—
Margaret Heidenry,
Vanity Fair,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The condensed schedule has contributed to an increase in injuries across the league, and the Sabres have been hit as hard as any team.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Raúl was solid, his hands meaty and strong, his fingernails curved and trimmed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Yet one reason that Conan now rules the Oscars like the new Jimmy Kimmel, if not the new Billy Crystal, is that the jokes were trimmed of the cutting sharpness the Oscars have flirted with in the past.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortened. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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