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
As digital distractions, from texting, social media, breaking news, work, and more, increasingly encroach on our lives, our average attention span — the length of time a person is able to concentrate mentally on a specific activity — has shrunk.
—
Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
The light is then guided using ultra-precise mirrors and reflected off a mask containing the pattern for one layer of the chip, which is then shrunk and projected onto a silicon wafer.
—Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
In the third quarter, what had been a nine-point Mission Hills lead shrank to 29-28.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
The wagers, which amounted to bets that the yen would strengthen, shrank by the most for any three-day period since October 2022, according to Bloomberg’s analysis of the figures.
—Ruth Carson, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
But, as unions and non-evangelical churches have shrunk, the left has turned to a different strategy.
—Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
All of this could devastate an American auto industry that has already shrunk a lot over the decades.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
About half the town’s population claims Danish ancestry, a percentage that has slowly shrunk as younger generations leave for opportunities elsewhere.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 22 Jan. 2026
Since hitting a high of 1,695 shows in 2022, per Luminate, the TV landscape (excluding live sports and news programming) has shrunk by a third.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
The light is then guided using ultra-precise mirrors and reflected off a mask containing the pattern for one layer of the chip, which is then shrunk and projected onto a silicon wafer.
—Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
In the third quarter, what had been a nine-point Mission Hills lead shrank to 29-28.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2026
The wagers, which amounted to bets that the yen would strengthen, shrank by the most for any three-day period since October 2022, according to Bloomberg’s analysis of the figures.
—Ruth Carson, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
But, as unions and non-evangelical churches have shrunk, the left has turned to a different strategy.
—Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
All of this could devastate an American auto industry that has already shrunk a lot over the decades.
—Patrick George, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
About half the town’s population claims Danish ancestry, a percentage that has slowly shrunk as younger generations leave for opportunities elsewhere.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 22 Jan. 2026
Since hitting a high of 1,695 shows in 2022, per Luminate, the TV landscape (excluding live sports and news programming) has shrunk by a third.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrank
Verb
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Las Vegas has compressed a short stretch of the Strip into a luxury gauntlet that’ll wreck your step count and your credit limit in the same afternoon.—
Paul Jebara,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Right now, with silver at elevated levels, premiums have compressed somewhat as a percentage of total price compared to when silver was trading at $20 or $30 per ounce.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters Software stocks on Thursday slid deeper into an ongoing intense sell-off this year as investors recoiled from the sector on growing fears that artificial intelligence could upend many firms' business models.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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The citizenry has broadly recoiled; her killing, in addition to being a human tragedy, has been a public relations disaster for the administration.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While the short-term base rate decreased thanks to cuts from the Fed last year, analysts are widely expecting the base rate to decrease at a slower pace in the New Year.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
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When eccentricity decreased, the climate shifted toward drier conditions.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This conversation has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.—
Jessica Firger,
SELF,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
That said, the Pioneers haven’t flinched this season without him.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
29 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After a flurry of punches that would have felled a lesser team and coach, the Owls are still standing.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Antoine’s trees were eventually felled after the plantation changed hands multiple times after the death of enslaver Roman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Photo by Anne Arundel County Fire Department In Harford County, crews rescued four cows, a bull and a horse after a barn collapsed.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Sutton said Minneapolis policing has collapsed since the 2020 unrest, noting the city is authorized for about 900 officers but now has roughly 550, with only around 265 patrol officers available to police the entire city.—
Stepheny Price , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The hard-drinking, hyper-sensitive Fitzgerald himself would have winced at any of the five adaptations of The Great Gatsby.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
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Charleigh inwardly winced and froze in place, hand still on the knob.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrank. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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