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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in abridgement
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shortening
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Unlike the typical butter-and-water combo, the bakery uses a blend of vegetable shortening and milk, which keeps the crust extra flaky and tender, perfect for holding any filling.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
But warming is disrupting this balance, reducing snowfall, shortening the precipitation season, and in some cases shifting it from snow to rain.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortening
Verb
After a four-year period, the people taking vitamin D showed less than half of the telomere shortening than the placebo group.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Unlike the typical butter-and-water combo, the bakery uses a blend of vegetable shortening and milk, which keeps the crust extra flaky and tender, perfect for holding any filling.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
The Railroad Commission approved the permit without shortening its duration.
—ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025
But warming is disrupting this balance, reducing snowfall, shortening the precipitation season, and in some cases shifting it from snow to rain.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortening
Verb
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The confirmation came just two days before the Fed is expected to vote on reducing its key interest rate.—
Adeola Adeosun
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Every action counts, whether reducing HFCs, investing in sustainable cooling, or holding governments accountable for climate commitments.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 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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Before the abbreviation stuck, the property was known as the Kildare Hotel and Golf Club.—
Mike Dojc,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
These terms are abbreviations for probability: a 10-year flood is a volume of flow that occurs on average once every 10 years, based on the records of flow for that stream.—
Ellen Wohl
August 20,
Literary Hub,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The move to question Europe’s harsh CO2 curtailment rules coincides with Trump Administration efforts to terminate rules based on the case that CO2 is a danger to public health These rules form the basis for U.S. greenhouse gas regulations.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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The curtailment of academic freedom, the deportation of foreign students, the banning of protests: all of this is being done under the pretext of protecting Jews, who alone are entitled to protections that other groups apparently don’t merit.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Key components of authoritarianism include rejecting democratic rules; denying the legitimacy of opponents; tolerating or encouraging political violence; and curtailing the civil liberties of opponents.—
Karrin Vasby Anderson,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
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Following the public outcry, EU leaders started issuing statements warning that the new law curtailing NABU’s authority would jeopardize Ukraine’s EU accession.—
DARIA KALENIUK,
Foreign Affairs,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Economists and researchers agreed that a healthy economy encourages families to have more children to reproduce, while a contracting economy can lead some families to hold off on children.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
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In government contracting, where bids are competitive and profitability is not always a factor, this model persists.—
Ryan Gray,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The high-profile bank failures of 2023—including Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank—triggered a contraction in CRE lending, particularly among regional banks.—
Andrew DeNardo,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Caffeine and chlorogenic acid in coffee also work together to stimulate gut contractions, according to Levi.—
Allison Forsyth,
Health,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Scott's expertise in embellishment and her ability to execute it in the most chic way prevailed; whether as crystal beading on the cape-style lapel of a jacket, a delicate fur-like fringe in neon green flanking a black dress, or a tubular velvet rope trimming the edges of tank-style pieces.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Something as simple as trimming nails or cutting hair also takes on new challenges, as without gravity, every tiny clipping would drift around, potentially clogging equipment or entering astronauts' eyes or lungs.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shortening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortening. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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