as in reduces
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 shortens
The deal, however, shortens the length of the contract from the typical three years to two years.
—
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The Huajiang Canyon Bridge helps travelers avoid these risks and significantly shortens the route, reducing travel time across the valley to about two minutes.
—Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
But as of February, American Airlines introduced a new route that dramatically shortens the journey, cutting the travel time to under 20 minutes by air.
—Tiana Schippa, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
Your jaw tightens, your heart races, your breathing shortens.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
The change significantly shortens the timeframe for filing claims — meaning passengers must act quickly after arriving at their destination.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
That shortens the public comment period to 21 days instead of 45, meaning changes to project costs can be done faster, at the same speed as INDOT.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The new plan shortens the time between missions and redraws the map of which launches will achieve various program milestones.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images The law shortens the annual enrollment period for ACA marketplace coverage.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
The Huajiang Canyon Bridge helps travelers avoid these risks and significantly shortens the route, reducing travel time across the valley to about two minutes.
—Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
But as of February, American Airlines introduced a new route that dramatically shortens the journey, cutting the travel time to under 20 minutes by air.
—Tiana Schippa, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2026
Your jaw tightens, your heart races, your breathing shortens.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
The change significantly shortens the timeframe for filing claims — meaning passengers must act quickly after arriving at their destination.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
That shortens the public comment period to 21 days instead of 45, meaning changes to project costs can be done faster, at the same speed as INDOT.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The new plan shortens the time between missions and redraws the map of which launches will achieve various program milestones.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images The law shortens the annual enrollment period for ACA marketplace coverage.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortens
Verb
-
Acidification reduces the pH of seawater, which also diminishes sound absorption, so the stain of ship’s engine noise spreads further, muffling the songs of humpbacks and the codas of sperm whales.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Each option reduces overall productivity, cutting supplies of basic foods, feed for livestock and key ingredients used in a wide range of food products.—
Aya S. Chacar,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Advertisement The court's decision not only curtails a policy Trump has repeatedly credited with strengthening American leverage abroad, but also carries major financial and legal consequences.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Think of this as the pessimistic, narrower option, where the greenhouse effect curtails the zone's inner edge and the loss of carbon dioxide from a planetary atmosphere marks its outer edge.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That’s a tactic city financers used on several other bond projects as well, said Molly Scarbrough, a deputy program manager for the Denver GO Bond Program, which abbreviates general obligation bond.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Apr. 2026
-
While the deal is budget-neutral during its first year, city residents would likely notice the impact of the furloughs as the absence of workers decreases the quality of service in many areas.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortens. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
