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
That number shrank to 9,643 the next year and 2,126 in 1992, before sinking to as few as a few dozen per year in the early 2000s.
—
Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
The price fell because the crisis-risk premium shrank, or the baseline supply-and-demand conditions improved, or both.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has shrunk by roughly a third since 2024, and the Office for Civil Rights is roughly 40% smaller.
—CNN Money, 18 June 2026
His world shrank as his ability to sing to his young daughter, give a presentation for work or tell a joke eroded.
—Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post, 15 June 2026
Caffeine boosted cycling power output at first, but the advantage steadily shrank, and by the second and third weeks the same dose produced a smaller performance benefit.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
The College Park campus of the University of Maryland improved in quality even as funding shrank.
—George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2026
The gender-neutral short form performer category, always one of the smallest on the ballot, shrank to 11 submissions from 27.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 June 2026
The area’s vacancy rate, already at a historic high, kept climbing in 2025 as office users shrank their spaces or moved to the West Loop or Fulton Market.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
The price fell because the crisis-risk premium shrank, or the baseline supply-and-demand conditions improved, or both.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services has shrunk by roughly a third since 2024, and the Office for Civil Rights is roughly 40% smaller.
—CNN Money, 18 June 2026
His world shrank as his ability to sing to his young daughter, give a presentation for work or tell a joke eroded.
—Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post, 15 June 2026
Caffeine boosted cycling power output at first, but the advantage steadily shrank, and by the second and third weeks the same dose produced a smaller performance benefit.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
The College Park campus of the University of Maryland improved in quality even as funding shrank.
—George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2026
The gender-neutral short form performer category, always one of the smallest on the ballot, shrank to 11 submissions from 27.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 11 June 2026
The area’s vacancy rate, already at a historic high, kept climbing in 2025 as office users shrank their spaces or moved to the West Loop or Fulton Market.
—Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrank
Verb
-
That compressed timeline changes the whole defensive game.—
Scott Alldridge,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Hydrogen is produced elsewhere, compressed, stored, transported, and then refuelled into the vehicle.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
In March, a nurse assessed Parias for complaints of increasing pain, and the nurse noted decreased mobility, prompting the nurse to submit a referral for an orthopedic evaluation, as well as additional medications.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
20 June 2026
-
This year, a census report compiled by Nutmeg Consulting found that the homeless sheltered population increased by around 17%, while the number of people living outside decreased by almost 50%.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
18 June 2026
-
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Credit card APRs are still parked near record highs, after all, and rates on mortgages and many other loan products have barely flinched, meaning there are big affordability challenges for those who need to borrow money in today's landscape.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
Up to that point, neither team’s starting pitcher had flinched.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Aalto University / Mahdi Asgari History is filled with stories of the great being felled by the puny.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 June 2026
-
And those are the lucky ones, who weren’t felled by late-season injuries and bumped from the tournament the way Brazil’s Rodrygo, Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma and Germany’s Serge Gnabry were.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Niv Shisler, 24, an aspiring rapper who works at Dorfman’s restaurant, moved to the town last November lured by cheap housing when rents collapsed during the war.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
-
The project had to be unplugged within months — before being widely deployed — when the company behind it collapsed.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
James stretched his neck and winced.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
-
The Republican Congress — filled with Netanyahu fans and hawks eager to align with Israel — winced.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrank. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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