as in abbreviation
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as in reducing
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shortening
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Jan. 2026
At the time, the conversation was framed almost entirely around operational efficiency— reducing friction at check-in, shortening queues, and lowering support costs.
—Nigel Vaz, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026
Beat shortening with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortening
Noun
The system comes preloaded with a vision–language–action (VLA) large model and a comprehensive dataset of over 10,000 real-world samples, enabling the robot to learn and execute new skills within hours, significantly shortening setup and training times.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Jan. 2026
At the time, the conversation was framed almost entirely around operational efficiency— reducing friction at check-in, shortening queues, and lowering support costs.
—Nigel Vaz, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
Samuel Helenius, Andrei Kuzmenko and Corey Perry (empty net) scored for the Kings (22-16-3), who won their third straight game after Monday’s game in Columbus was postponed due to Sunday’s blizzard, shortening their trip from six to five games.
—Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026
Beat shortening with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
—Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortening
Noun
-
Back then, the abbreviation PLG felt like a harbinger of gentrification that would protect my property value.—
Naomi Jackson,
Curbed,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The three-letter acronym isn't an abbreviation of a country delegation — its athletes are tied to Russia, whose nation's flag will not be present following a series of doping scandals and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In addition to the effects of the pandemic and tariffs, climate issues — drought in Vietnam, heavy rain in Indonesia, and hot, dry weather in Brazil — are blamed for reducing yields of coffee crops and driving up global prices.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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That means air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will receive paychecks as usual, reducing the risk of widespread flight cancellations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Its resurgence has raised concerns among minorities and women workers who fear a potential curtailment of women’s rights if conservative elements gain influence.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Many types of utopias have been articulated in late-modern culture, each one a distillation of some community’s desire for relief from the strictures and curtailments of life’s possibilities.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Edo also followed Prince William and Kate Middleton's lead with the sweet sign off for his latest social post by abbreviating the children's first names with their initials to send an online message.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Some City Council members have asked questions – about sustainability, social justice and local small business contracting opportunities.—
Susan Shelley,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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My vision for the HUB program is one of expansion and transparency—ensuring that state contracting is a tool for building middle-class wealth and supporting a diverse range of Texas entrepreneurs.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Your Heart Health May Be Supported Magnesium plays a key role in how electrical signals move through the heart and in the contraction of the heart muscle.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
19 Feb. 2026
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But after years of contraction, shrinking pre-sales and skittish buyers, there was a sense at EFM, a cautious, qualified sense, that the worst may be over.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This ruling had a massive impact on low-income neighborhoods, which were suddenly subjected to a separate system of law, curtailing residents’ rights more sharply than their wealthier, whiter counterparts’.—
Emily Galvin Almanza,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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Parallel talks resumed in Geneva aimed at curtailing Iran’s nuclear program and finalizing a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but analysts held out little hope of lasting progress in either.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
Cite this Entry
“Shortening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortening. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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