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
Because the 49ers abd Rams play on the NFL’s first Thursday Night Football game, that shortens Kittle’s runway.
—
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Clearing out clogs helps the machine run more efficiently, reduces wear and tear, and shortens drying times.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
Using Samaniego to start the game, though, shortens an already thin bullpen.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 29 May 2026
This shortens interconnect lengths, increase data speeds, reduce latency, and lower power consumption.
—Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
Strong credibility reduces friction, shortens evaluation cycles and makes choices easier.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
High heat causes coatings to degrade faster and shortens the lifespan of the pan dramatically.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
High heat breaks down coatings faster and shortens the life of the pan.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
All this interconnectivity shortens leads times, allowing for quicker iterations and faster trend response.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
Clearing out clogs helps the machine run more efficiently, reduces wear and tear, and shortens drying times.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
Using Samaniego to start the game, though, shortens an already thin bullpen.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 29 May 2026
This shortens interconnect lengths, increase data speeds, reduce latency, and lower power consumption.
—Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026
Strong credibility reduces friction, shortens evaluation cycles and makes choices easier.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
High heat causes coatings to degrade faster and shortens the lifespan of the pan dramatically.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
High heat breaks down coatings faster and shortens the life of the pan.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
All this interconnectivity shortens leads times, allowing for quicker iterations and faster trend response.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortens
Verb
-
Building on its successful rollout in Brazil, Juspay is expanding Click to Pay globally to eliminate manual card entry, which minimizes checkout friction, reduces cart abandonment and boosts conversion rates.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
-
Maintaining your yard by mowing, removing leaf litter, and trimming vegetation reduces tick habitats.—
Dan Simms,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
India’s neighbors are seeking additional fuel from New Delhi as the war in the Middle East curtails access to energy supplies from the Persian Gulf, giving Asia’s third-largest economy an opportunity to build goodwill across the region.—
Swati Gupta,
Bloomberg,
13 Mar. 2026
-
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
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
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortens. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
