shortens

present tense third-person singular of shorten

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 Hot water can cause shrinking, fraying, and pilling, which shortens the lifespan of your towels. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026 If a stage is a tenth of the path, then even cutting it to zero shortens the path by a tenth at most. — Illia Smoliienko, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Running them through the washer too frequently breaks down elastic and shortens their usable life. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026 That arrangement shortens the distance that signals need to travel between processing components. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026 Uneven tire wear that shortens tire life and affects handling. — Michael Kurko, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 And choosing a washer with a higher spin speed (up to about 1,000 RPM) removes more water before drying, which shortens air-dry time significantly. — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026 Browning the meat first not only builds flavor on its exterior but also shortens the overall cooking time. — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026 The model promotes brand consistencey, reduces costs, shortens lead times and helps build a traceable supply chain. — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shortens
Verb
  • This creates a cleaner edge, makes mowing easier, and reduces competition between the tree and turf.
    — Tricia Goss, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The plan also reduces investment in Central Maryland transit by approximately $360 million, or 12%, while shrinking the Baltimore region’s share of statewide transit investment from 34% to 30%.
    — Brian O'Malley, Baltimore Sun, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Inspired by Soviet dissidents who secretly circulated writing, the sessions encourage participants to reclaim private expression in an era of political turmoil, data mining and government pressure that curtails public expression.
    — Miranda Huang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Eventually this cuts off the food supply to the black hole and curtails its growth.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Its title abbreviates the spring/summer 2026 season, dropping the album directly into the fashion calendar.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
  • 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
  • The front finally moves through on Friday, but some heavy rain will still be possible early, before the chance of rain decreases into the weekend.
    — Michael Autovino, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Nebraska researchers also found that hafnia becomes more stable as its thickness decreases.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shortens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortens. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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