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 reduces part count and shortens production timelines.
—
New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2026
Senate Bill 1 also shortens the timeframe for Medicaid eligibility redeterminations, and requires the Secretary of Family and Social Services to transmit certain information to the federal government to prevent multiple state Medicaid enrollments.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
One bill requires legislative approval for major agency rules and shortens gubernatorial appointee terms to four years.
—Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register, 17 Feb. 2026
This kind of careful pruning is superior to topping, which results in weak and spindly growth and shortens a tree's lifespan.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
The landmark Harvard Six Cities Study, which tracked the health of thousands of Americans from the 1970s through the 1990s, proved unambiguously that air pollution shortens lives.
—Michelle A. Williams, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026
Volkswagen says the shift to a software-centric development process shortens overall vehicle development cycles by up to 30%.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That design choice lowers costs and shortens deployment time.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
The companies said this approach cuts fabric offcuts and shortens production time by reducing the number of pattern pieces and construction steps.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
New Atlas, 25 Feb. 2026
Senate Bill 1 also shortens the timeframe for Medicaid eligibility redeterminations, and requires the Secretary of Family and Social Services to transmit certain information to the federal government to prevent multiple state Medicaid enrollments.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2026
One bill requires legislative approval for major agency rules and shortens gubernatorial appointee terms to four years.
—Marissa Payne, Des Moines Register, 17 Feb. 2026
This kind of careful pruning is superior to topping, which results in weak and spindly growth and shortens a tree's lifespan.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
The landmark Harvard Six Cities Study, which tracked the health of thousands of Americans from the 1970s through the 1990s, proved unambiguously that air pollution shortens lives.
—Michelle A. Williams, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026
Volkswagen says the shift to a software-centric development process shortens overall vehicle development cycles by up to 30%.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That design choice lowers costs and shortens deployment time.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
The companies said this approach cuts fabric offcuts and shortens production time by reducing the number of pattern pieces and construction steps.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortens
Verb
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Recent research examining extensive housing market data reaches similar conclusions, finding that institutional investors buying single-family homes raises home prices by 1-2% and reduces rents by nearly the same amount.—
Adrian Moore,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
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The fiber in fruit slows digestion and reduces the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to lower post-meal blood sugar levels.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
26 Feb. 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
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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
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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
-
When blood vessels relax, the pressure inside them decreases.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
3 Mar. 2026
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Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Obstructive sleep apnea decreases the total amount of quality sleep.—
Ashley Olivine,
Verywell Health,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortens. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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