as in afraid
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1
as in revulsion
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2
as in diminishing
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1
as in compressing
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
the sweater will shrink a little when washed
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2
as in recoiling
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
shrinking back from the approaching flames
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3
as in decreasing
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
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Recent Examples of shrinking
Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Are margins improving or shrinking?
—Michael Shribman, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
But the childcare system that supports them is fragile, expensive and shrinking.
—Andrea Steffes-Tuttle, Denver Post, 12 June 2026
The shrinking ranks particularly affected the Bay Area in California.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 10 June 2026
In recent years, batted balls have carried much better in the East Village, and the shrinking of right field in 2012 has resulted in drives like Schwarber’s on Monday becoming home runs.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Beyond transistor shrinking The semiconductor industry has long relied on Moore’s Law, which predicts that the number of transistors on a chip doubles roughly every two years.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
The process of shrinking was different among the groups, with some dinosaurs reducing the size of the fingers first, while others prioritized shortening the forearm.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
State economists have previously suggested the rise in unemployment isn’t simply about people losing their jobs, but about new entrants to the workforce taking longer to find work, while more people are retiring, leading to a shrinking of the overall labor pool.
—News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 June 2026
The window is closing Lawmakers still have options, but the menu is shrinking fast.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
Even as several other CSU campuses deal with shrinking student populations as a result of demographic shifts and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sacramento campus has managed to grow its headcount.
—Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
The findings could help chipmakers continue shrinking transistors beyond current technology nodes while reducing costly trial-and-error during development.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
But Black & Veatch changed its plans this spring — scaling up the size of the headquarters and hotel, and shrinking the number of housing units.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
In an email to ARTnews, Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz cautioned against interpreting shrinking sales in the ultra-contemporary category as a sign that collectors have lost interest.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026
Rising costs, shrinking savings, economic uncertainty, and burnout have pushed many people to rethink what long-term security actually looks like.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 15 June 2026
However, escalating costs and a shrinking amount of space available at Fontana have placed that project on a near-permanent hold.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2026
Adjective
Re-wash and dry the garment, using these tips to avoid re-shrinking, to prevent a residue from the conditioner from setting.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
Neither the state’s funding woes nor the shrinking of the federal workforce are expected to impact firefighting ability.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
Are margins improving or shrinking?
—Michael Shribman, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
But the childcare system that supports them is fragile, expensive and shrinking.
—Andrea Steffes-Tuttle, Denver Post, 12 June 2026
The shrinking ranks particularly affected the Bay Area in California.
—Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 10 June 2026
In recent years, batted balls have carried much better in the East Village, and the shrinking of right field in 2012 has resulted in drives like Schwarber’s on Monday becoming home runs.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2026
Beyond transistor shrinking The semiconductor industry has long relied on Moore’s Law, which predicts that the number of transistors on a chip doubles roughly every two years.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
The process of shrinking was different among the groups, with some dinosaurs reducing the size of the fingers first, while others prioritized shortening the forearm.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 May 2026
State economists have previously suggested the rise in unemployment isn’t simply about people losing their jobs, but about new entrants to the workforce taking longer to find work, while more people are retiring, leading to a shrinking of the overall labor pool.
—News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 22 May 2026
Verb
As Variety explored at length in a cover story last year, this group of filmmakers have been marginalized in a post-streaming world of shrinking budgets.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 June 2026
The window is closing Lawmakers still have options, but the menu is shrinking fast.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 June 2026
Even as several other CSU campuses deal with shrinking student populations as a result of demographic shifts and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sacramento campus has managed to grow its headcount.
—Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
The findings could help chipmakers continue shrinking transistors beyond current technology nodes while reducing costly trial-and-error during development.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026
But Black & Veatch changed its plans this spring — scaling up the size of the headquarters and hotel, and shrinking the number of housing units.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
In an email to ARTnews, Art Basel CEO Noah Horowitz cautioned against interpreting shrinking sales in the ultra-contemporary category as a sign that collectors have lost interest.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026
Rising costs, shrinking savings, economic uncertainty, and burnout have pushed many people to rethink what long-term security actually looks like.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 15 June 2026
However, escalating costs and a shrinking amount of space available at Fontana have placed that project on a near-permanent hold.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking
Adjective
-
There is no reason to be afraid.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
One woman intended to use the time to order electrolytes online, another was seeking earring backs, and a third needed to find a male babysitter, as well as a summer swim program, for a four-and-a-half-year-old who is afraid of the water.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The deepest reason for this near-universal futility is that most of us remain imprisoned by the delusions of the ego, suffering from alternating cravings and revulsions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Watching Jackie read her profoundly scary tale, my reaction moved from curiosity to revulsion to fear… not of her, but of Michael.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Brendan McDermid | Reuters Treasury yields were relatively unchanged on Monday, as investors weighed the impact from Middle East tensions and the diminishing likelihood that the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates anytime soon.—
Sean Conlon,Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
-
But there is no doubt that the NAACP is right about the contradiction of people cheering the exploits of Black athletes at college programs while also cheering the diminishing of Black political representation.—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The technology can help with due diligence and integration, compressing what was once a long process into one that customers might not notice.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
In the new Hubble image, some of the gas on the outer edge of M88 can be seen compressing and piling up.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
This is typical of Hacks, a series that constantly positions itself to do something emotionally dangerous before recoiling toward a safer version of it.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
Coinbase’s effort, filled with little nuances and created to emulate the experience of a videogame, might have people welcoming another look rather than recoiling at seeing the spot for the 15th time in a period of just a few days.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Steiger's presentation also highlighted how the district has taken measures to reduce spending, like cutting off purchasing cards and decreasing non-school spending.—
Austin Horn
June 11,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
With decreasing revenue from the gas tax and increasing costs, Behrens said that over the next decade, the state will face a $216 billion shortfall.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
In her early public appearances, she was often seen with her head bowed and her gaze upward, a posture that, alongside her soft-spoken demeanor, led the British press to characterize her as timid and reserved.—
Elle Meier,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
David Fine as Scorpius does an enormous amount of heavy lifting by injecting urgency and pathos, despite his character’s timid personality.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
This assigned her music an unproven political heft, much to her (and associated brands’) profit, with potential for a nasty recoil.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
11 June 2026
-
But even as some people recoil from the kinds of characters that have dominated the screen for two decades, Corddry has leaned in.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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