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
Md Published, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2026
This shortening interval raises fears that human experts may end up merely approving recommendations generated by algorithms.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
And in August, the Department of Homeland Security proposed shortening the length of time foreign students could remain in the country.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortening
Noun
Penile length shortening is also common following prostatectomy/pelvic surgery.
—Md Published, Verywell Health, 5 Mar. 2026
This shortening interval raises fears that human experts may end up merely approving recommendations generated by algorithms.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
That only increased existing scrutiny of Davis’ coaching decisions — such as shortening his second-half rotation to have four players play all 20 second-half minutes — as well as his terse and awkward responses afterward.
—Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
And in August, the Department of Homeland Security proposed shortening the length of time foreign students could remain in the country.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shortening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortening
Noun
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The party is an Iranian-Kurdish nationalist separatist group known by the local abbreviation PAK.—
Samya Kullab,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The abbreviation served as camouflage.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The station initially bridged the sudden budget gap last year by reaching out to donors directly and reducing costs to bring down overhead.—
Savannah Sicurella,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The ship suffered substantial damage, and the Reagan administration retaliated by damaging or sinking three Iranian warships and three oil platforms, drastically reducing Tehran’s ability to engage in the gulf.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In exchange for the curtailment of some freedoms, the people submit to an authority, thereby gaining protection and security.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
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The disruption reflects a broader curtailment of Holy Week traditions.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Mar. 2026
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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Could such an inconvenient outcome have led to a deliberate slowing down by the mayor’s office of the contracting process?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Dismantling affirmative action in federal contracting and laying off Black federal workers, as Sharpton saw it, necessitated a response.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The longtime illusion of a mainstream industry involved truncating both ends of the bell curve, the radical and the mercenary.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The echo reverberates, the force of each choke conjuring a body in painful contraction.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
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But in 2025, Li said 25 countries decreased their development assistance to poorer countries, leading to a 23% overall drop from 2024, the largest annual contraction on record.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Great Again movement approve of the Hungarian leader’s opposition to immigration, curtailing of LGBTQ+ rights, and capture of the media and academia.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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Over more than 50 years, each new presidential administration has reassessed the place of spaceflight among its priorities, either encouraging or curtailing NASA’s efforts to return humans to the lunar surface.—
Emily A. Margolis,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortening. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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