variants
or shrunk
1
as in compressed
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
the sweater will shrink a little when washed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in recoiled
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
shrinking back from the approaching flames
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
his crush on her is likely to shrink after they start their new lives on different college campuses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrank
The collapse of social and search traffic has shrunk its audiences, particularly at Business Insider, which has long relied on clicks.
—
Max Tani, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The move blew a roughly billion-dollar hole in the organization's budget, and the fund to pay for shipments shrank.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Lake Tefé’s surface area decreased by 75%, while another lake, Badajós, shrunk by 92%.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative shrunk public-sector employment by more than 290,000 jobs—including federal employees and contractors, according to the report.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
For companies who have shrunk their senior teams, this C-suite contraction has been driven by several factors.
—Sarah Abbott, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Staffing levels shrunk amid rising violence and a nationwide trend of high turnover rates among officers.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 4 Nov. 2025
But then, with victory in sight, his gearbox failed, and by the final lap his lead had shrunk to just four seconds.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
The gap from first to the rest of the field shrunk ever-so-slightly last week.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Max Tani, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The move blew a roughly billion-dollar hole in the organization's budget, and the fund to pay for shipments shrank.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Lake Tefé’s surface area decreased by 75%, while another lake, Badajós, shrunk by 92%.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative shrunk public-sector employment by more than 290,000 jobs—including federal employees and contractors, according to the report.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
For companies who have shrunk their senior teams, this C-suite contraction has been driven by several factors.
—Sarah Abbott, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Staffing levels shrunk amid rising violence and a nationwide trend of high turnover rates among officers.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 4 Nov. 2025
But then, with victory in sight, his gearbox failed, and by the final lap his lead had shrunk to just four seconds.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
The gap from first to the rest of the field shrunk ever-so-slightly last week.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrank
Verb
-
Available pore space is diminished when roots fill it or the soil gets compressed as the soil particles break down over time and pack together.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The photograph of the plumbing was compressed, along with Max’s prompt, into a vector that captured its most important features.—
James Somers,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Blazy, a Parisian born and bred, recoiled from the claim.—
Nathan Heller,
Vogue,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Some recoiled at the launch and others quit their positions.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Content licensing revenues decreased 27% to $59 million primarily due to the timing and availability of deliveries in the period.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The median sale price for detached homes remained flat at $650,000, while attached homes decreased by 3% to $388,220.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
This conversation has been edited and condensed.—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This interview has been edited and condensed.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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His comment shouldn’t be interpreted as a postgame shot at an overwhelmed Red Raiders offense and, everything considered, his vaunted defense’s performance hardly resembled a unit that flinched at the challenges.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Jan. 2026
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That said, the Pioneers haven’t flinched this season without him.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
29 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The at-bats were brief and uneventful, the opposite of the approach that carried Toronto to this stage and felled Snell in Game 1.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
-
That says a lot about the 2025 Red Sox, who were a top offensive team in many metrics, but were also felled by their bats in crucial spots throughout the year and postseason.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The sofa was so collapsed that getting up from it felt like core strength training.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
And then on Thursday, after most of the show had been written, a man collapsed in the Oval Office, generating an instantly meme-able photograph of the president staring into the camera, looking oblivious to efforts to revive the prone victim at stage left.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Evans winced in pain, limped to the bench and did not even consider stopping there, making his way straight to the Canadiens’ dressing room and barely putting any weight on his right leg.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Even some on the right have winced at the politics.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrank. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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