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 flinched
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 labor force, which shrank for three months in a row, increased by 436,000 people in August, according to BLS data.
—
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Other tech giants have similarly shrunk their workforce because of AI.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
It's now shrunk to about 1,700 square kilometers (656 square miles), or roughly the size of Greater London, Meijers says.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
Gensert noted that RideSD unsuccessfully lobbied last spring for state funding increases that could have shrunk the deficits MTS faces.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
ConocoPhillips' net income shrank in the second quarter to about $2 billion, the lowest since March 2020, according to Reuters.
—James Powel, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Their range shrank northward as many were shot and shoved out of their native habitats — areas near lakes, rivers and coasts — by humans and industry.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
Trump has said those levies will incentivize companies to re-shore production at a time when domestic drug manufacturing has shrunk dramatically over the past decade.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
As sales have dwindled and demand has shrunk in recent months, inventory has started piling across the country, especially in the South, giving buyers more power over sellers and slowly shifting the market in their favor.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Other tech giants have similarly shrunk their workforce because of AI.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
It's now shrunk to about 1,700 square kilometers (656 square miles), or roughly the size of Greater London, Meijers says.
—Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 5 Sep. 2025
Gensert noted that RideSD unsuccessfully lobbied last spring for state funding increases that could have shrunk the deficits MTS faces.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
ConocoPhillips' net income shrank in the second quarter to about $2 billion, the lowest since March 2020, according to Reuters.
—James Powel, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Their range shrank northward as many were shot and shoved out of their native habitats — areas near lakes, rivers and coasts — by humans and industry.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
Trump has said those levies will incentivize companies to re-shore production at a time when domestic drug manufacturing has shrunk dramatically over the past decade.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
As sales have dwindled and demand has shrunk in recent months, inventory has started piling across the country, especially in the South, giving buyers more power over sellers and slowly shifting the market in their favor.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrank
Verb
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Stock indexes released to new highs and Treasury yields compressed toward five-month lows as investors took the uptick in weekly jobless claims as permission to look through 3%-ish inflation and price in multiple Fed rate hikes.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
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According to Spotify, Bluetooth currently doesn’t provide enough bandwidth to transmit lossless audio, so the signal has to be compressed before being sent.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The last time Congress faced a deadline to extend government funding, Senate Democrats flinched, giving Republicans the votes needed to avert a government shutdown without extracting any concessions.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
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However, Machado flinched as the ball approached and then zipped past his glove.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The New York Federal Reserve’s measure of Global Supply Chain Pressure showed that July’s level of stress decreased, and is approximately now equal to the long-term average.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Local businesses in affected neighborhoods report decreased foot traffic and lower sales amid the atmosphere of uncertainty.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Plus, the faux leather material has some give, so your foot won’t feel constricted.—
Shea Simmons,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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But the binary choice between a single state and two separate ones is false, unnecessarily constricted.—
Hussein Agha,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Videos recorded by witnesses at the Utah Valley University event showed Kirk being shot in the neck and bleeding heavily as his body recoiled.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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As detailed in Tina Fey’s 2011 memoir, Bossypants, Jimmy Fallon, who was also in the show’s cast at the time, jokingly recoiled and told Poehler to stop it.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Even if military victory in the conventional sense remains uncertain, Russia has been diminished in ways that extend far beyond the battlefield.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The result can mean fatigue, irritability and diminished mental focus for the individual tasked with working in the heat.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After a while, the lady shook her head.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
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The earthquake shook at a depth of just 4 miles, with its epicenter about 6 miles south-southeast of Pinnacles.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When a mother tree is felled, the survival rate of many of its seedlings may be drastically reduced, a process not unlike the reciprocal feedback loop of Yggdrasill, whose deterioration in response to discord in the nine realms spells cosmic collapse.—
Ellen Walker,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
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There are also beautifully observed moments toward the end with Dorotea and Riccardo; and a moving reckoning with death when Mariano’s favorite horse, a stallion named Elvis, is felled by illness and the president refuses to end his suffering by having the animal put to sleep.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrank. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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