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 agency has shrunk roughly 25% in size since last year.
—
Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 28 May 2026
That was dozens, eventually, hundreds of employees in a studio that had already shrunk during layoffs.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
By the time the police contract was finalized in 2023, the department had already shrunk to 9,000 officers.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Average hourly earnings, adjusted for price changes, shrank in April from a year earlier for the first time in three years.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 26 May 2026
The evacuation zone has shrunk, although approximately 16,000 people remain under evacuation orders as the threat to public safety continues.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 26 May 2026
That has shrunk not only the average size of adults but also their overall numbers – and contributed to a global overfishing crisis.
—Owen D. Jones, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
The field shrank Monday when candidate Lindsey Church, a former Navy linguist who runs a nonprofit serving minority veterans, dropped out of the race and endorsed Macías.
—Jack O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
Betz also pointed to Michigan's lower birth rates, which have shrunk the pool of 18-year-olds seeking a college education, a trend that heavily impacts small private institutions like Siena Heights.
—CBS News, 14 May 2026
Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 28 May 2026
That was dozens, eventually, hundreds of employees in a studio that had already shrunk during layoffs.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
By the time the police contract was finalized in 2023, the department had already shrunk to 9,000 officers.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2026
Average hourly earnings, adjusted for price changes, shrank in April from a year earlier for the first time in three years.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 26 May 2026
The evacuation zone has shrunk, although approximately 16,000 people remain under evacuation orders as the threat to public safety continues.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 26 May 2026
That has shrunk not only the average size of adults but also their overall numbers – and contributed to a global overfishing crisis.
—Owen D. Jones, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
The field shrank Monday when candidate Lindsey Church, a former Navy linguist who runs a nonprofit serving minority veterans, dropped out of the race and endorsed Macías.
—Jack O'Connor, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2026
Betz also pointed to Michigan's lower birth rates, which have shrunk the pool of 18-year-olds seeking a college education, a trend that heavily impacts small private institutions like Siena Heights.
—CBS News, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrank
Verb
-
At the same time, open-weight and lower-cost competitors have compressed pricing so aggressively that capabilities once reserved for the largest enterprises are now deployable at mass scale.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The tank can also produce ice ridges, compressed piles that form when ice fields collide and can extend tens of meters deep, though that’s occasional rather than routine.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
Verb
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And when the Walmart collaboration arrived in 2007 — a full collection at twenty dollars and under — the industry recoiled once again.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
The young Forster recoiled from the school’s culture of authoritarianism and militaristic chauvinism, which may have found expression in the students’ often appalling attitudes toward their own mothers.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Homicides have decreased by roughly 11% from this time in 2025, which ended with a 60-year low in the number of people killed; the city has also had 148 fewer people shot.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
-
This isn’t unique to Sacramento, with Smith noting that an American Alliance of Museums survey found that 55% of museums report decreased traffic.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
28 May 2026
-
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The executive producer and star points to earlier moments in the season, like when Ruben flinched at the sight of his dad through his bedroom window.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
-
However, Wall Street hasn’t flinched.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Piccotto effectively plays the regret of a mother forced to reckon with the loss of a child, the horror of engaging with that child again, while also grappling with her own role as a mother felled by the scourge of addiction.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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In a Western Conference Final where a few other key Colorado Avalanche players are already playing through injuries, the NHL’s leading goal scorer this season was felled trying to prevent someone else from scoring.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
Verb
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Following the 2008 financial crisis, several of Spain’s major industries collapsed, the unemployment rate soared to 27 percent, and the banking system entered such a vicious cycle that not even the Spanish government could afford to rescue it (hence, the EU bailout).—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
Revenue grew, but margins collapsed and management became chaotic.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Ohtani spun and winced but then strode straight to first base.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
-
Vanderbilt was in a ton of pain, and even the Thunder bench winced at Vanderbilt’s hand.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrank. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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