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
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Recent Examples of shortens
This approach reduces labor costs and shortens resale cycles.
—
Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Every cut to the CDC, every withdrawal from WHO, every concession to anti-science populism shortens lives — not only in Chicago, Harlem and Houston but also in Lagos, Caracas, Mumbai, Gaza and Nairobi.
—Stan Chu Ilo, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
Inflation raises the value of assets at risk, and when climate change shortens the return period between extreme events, recovery periods shrink until the economics of rebuilding no longer add up.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
To prevent the Toy Hauler from stretching too long, Hardkorr shortens up the aluminum camper box in comparison to its pure camper trailers.
—New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2025
As many people well know, using screens at night delays bedtime, shortens sleep duration, and worsens sleep quality; phones can disrupt rest just by being in the same room, Lauren Hale, a professor studying sleep at Stony Brook Medicine, told me.
—Rheana Murray, The Atlantic, 11 Aug. 2025
While this shortens the timeline for training, Kober said these officers likely won't hit the streets until April 2026.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 5 Aug. 2025
Soil splashed onto lower foliage and stems makes your vase water muddy, which inhibits water uptake by the flowers and shortens their life.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
In Tennessee, a pardon serves as a statement of forgiveness to someone who has completed their prison sentence and is no longer incarcerated, while commutation shortens a sentence but lets the conviction stand.
—Jonathan Mattise The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Every cut to the CDC, every withdrawal from WHO, every concession to anti-science populism shortens lives — not only in Chicago, Harlem and Houston but also in Lagos, Caracas, Mumbai, Gaza and Nairobi.
—Stan Chu Ilo, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
Inflation raises the value of assets at risk, and when climate change shortens the return period between extreme events, recovery periods shrink until the economics of rebuilding no longer add up.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
To prevent the Toy Hauler from stretching too long, Hardkorr shortens up the aluminum camper box in comparison to its pure camper trailers.
—New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2025
As many people well know, using screens at night delays bedtime, shortens sleep duration, and worsens sleep quality; phones can disrupt rest just by being in the same room, Lauren Hale, a professor studying sleep at Stony Brook Medicine, told me.
—Rheana Murray, The Atlantic, 11 Aug. 2025
While this shortens the timeline for training, Kober said these officers likely won't hit the streets until April 2026.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 5 Aug. 2025
Soil splashed onto lower foliage and stems makes your vase water muddy, which inhibits water uptake by the flowers and shortens their life.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2025
In Tennessee, a pardon serves as a statement of forgiveness to someone who has completed their prison sentence and is no longer incarcerated, while commutation shortens a sentence but lets the conviction stand.
—Jonathan Mattise The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortens
Verb
-
This not only reinforces clarity, but also reduces the reliance on employees having to scribble notes word for word to decode later.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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But prorating three years of player profits down to 12 months, as UEFA’s rule does, reduces the immediate efficacy of successful trading in the market, the very strategy that poorer clubs increasingly rely on to climb the ladder.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His minority interest in the Raiders presents a clear conflict of interest that at least subconsciously likely curtails his willingness to criticize, at least to an extent.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Team productivity decreases across the board, and worse, disengagement becomes infectious.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shortens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortens. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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