Synonyms of shrank

shrank

verb

variants or shrunk

past tense of shrink

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

• compressed
• decreased
• condensed
• collapsed
• constricted
• contracted
• flattened
• withdrew
• retreated
• diminished
• dwindled
• receded
• lessened
• shriveled
• withered
• dried up
• deflated
• abated
• wilted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• swelled
• expanded
• increased
• grew
• ballooned
• accumulated
• snowballed
• inflated
• puffed (up)
• ballooned

2

as in recoiled

to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust

shrinking back from the approaching flames

Synonyms & Similar Words

• recoiled
• flinched
• winced
• cringed
• shuddered
• trembled
• hesitated
• shook
• quailed
• blenched
• paled
• quivered
• retreated
• withdrew
• squinched
• blanched
• crouched
• receded
• quaked
• whitened
• faltered
• twitched
• jerked
• reeled
• wavered
• started
• retired

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• approached
• advanced
• faced
• confronted
• neared
• challenged
• defied
• bearded

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

• decreased
• fell
• diminished
• subsided
• eased
• declined
• vanished
• ebbed
• dwindled
• receded
• waned
• lessened
• lowered
• dropped (off)
• tapered
• relented
• weakened
• died (away or down or out)
• moderated
• palled
• drained (away)
• evaporated
• fell away
• tapered off
• abated
• remitted
• let up
• ratcheted (down)
• compressed
• phased down
• racheted (down)
• contracted
• de-escalated
• constricted
• slackened
• condensed
• collapsed
• alleviated
• faded (away)
• melted (away)
• slowed (down)
• sank
• relaxed
• petered (out)
• frittered (away)
• tailed (off)
• gave out
• flagged
• deflated
• caved (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increased
• grew
• rose
• built
• expanded
• swelled
• enlarged
• mounted
• intensified
• soared
• accumulated
• escalated
• appeared
• waxed
• picked up
• emerged
• ballooned
• mushroomed
• burgeoned
• snowballed
• showed up
• lengthened
• elongated
• distended
• blew up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shrank

The Royal Navy has shrunk dramatically since the Cold War ended, with combat-ready ships declining from 166 in 1975 to 66 in 2025, following decades of military spending cuts. —Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026

Those commitments come at a time when domestic drug manufacturing had shrunk significantly. —Annika Kim Constantino,angelica Peebles, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026

Even when the business appeared to be booming, the television landscape was changing as episode orders shrank and the time between seasons grew. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2026

The physical design of the N6 Pro matches most modern, high-end, room-to-room portable projectors, but shrunk down to mini-projector size. —M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026

Lines that stretched for hours last week shrank to minutes at many airports as back pay hit employees’ accounts. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026

Concessions in the 2010s froze wages and weakened health and retirement benefits, and the executive branch work force shrunk by 10%. —Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026

The research and manufacturing infrastructure to close those gaps quickly doesn’t currently exist at the scale this moment requires, and the workforce to deploy them has shrunk. —Ashish K. Jha, STAT, 25 Mar. 2026

As the ranks of mental health care providers at the VA have shrunk, the department has proposed shifting billions of dollars into community care, a program in which veterans obtain health care via private physicians and other providers. —Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026