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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shortens
Dropping three at once and then one episode per week shortens that by a couple weeks.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
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
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
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
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
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
-
This degrades your brake system’s stopping power, which reduces the overall safety of your vehicle.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
While magnesium may support a healthy heart, there is no clear evidence that taking magnesium supplements reduces your risk of heart disease or regulates your blood pressure.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
18 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
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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
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
-
Forecast confidence decreases somewhat heading into the weekend, but an unsettled pattern appears likely to continue.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shortens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shortens. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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