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
Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 1 Apr. 2026
For desperate countries in Asia the opportunity is short-lived and shrinking, said Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at the global trade data firm Kpler.
—Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
The shrinking world As birth rates fall, the shrinking of a nation’s population is often worrisome for political elites, who tend to see a large population as a source of power.
—John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
For desperate countries in Asia the opportunity is short-lived and shrinking, said Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at the global trade data firm Kpler.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Advertisement The expansion of oil drilling has been made possible by the shrinking of sea ice, which is occurring fastest in the Barents Sea.
—Tom Yulsman, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
Dry on low heat and remove promptly to keep sheets soft and prevent shrinking.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 22 Feb. 2026
Heat can melt the synthetic fibers, causing shrinking, curling, and the fusing of the fibers.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Are your balances growing or shrinking?
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
But despite this compact, which the states are renegotiating in 2026, the basin’s water supply is shrinking.
—Dave White, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
While most of the food consumed in Kigali comes from other districts in Rwanda, farmland in those areas is shrinking, too, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office, Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, told The Associated Press.
—Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The Work Isn’t Over While the shrinking list is cause for celebration, challenges remain.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Entry-level roles that once served as training grounds are shrinking.
—Ali Kaufman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
In fact, on a recent trip to Florida, my blowout was undone within an hour of stepping outside, expanding in width and shrinking in length.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
As women’s earning power grows, their tolerance for an unequal domestic arrangement is shrinking.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Cash may still carry symbolic weight, but its everyday role is shrinking.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 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
With hot water, natural fibers run the biggest risk of shrinking.
—Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 1 Apr. 2026
For desperate countries in Asia the opportunity is short-lived and shrinking, said Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at the global trade data firm Kpler.
—Anton L. Delgado, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
The shrinking world As birth rates fall, the shrinking of a nation’s population is often worrisome for political elites, who tend to see a large population as a source of power.
—John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026
For desperate countries in Asia the opportunity is short-lived and shrinking, said Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at the global trade data firm Kpler.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Advertisement The expansion of oil drilling has been made possible by the shrinking of sea ice, which is occurring fastest in the Barents Sea.
—Tom Yulsman, Time, 23 Feb. 2026
Dry on low heat and remove promptly to keep sheets soft and prevent shrinking.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 22 Feb. 2026
Heat can melt the synthetic fibers, causing shrinking, curling, and the fusing of the fibers.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
Are your balances growing or shrinking?
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
Connecticut hospitals were struggling due to the provider tax and shrinking federal support well before the coronavirus pandemic placed them under unprecedented economic strain in 2020 and 2021.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2026
But despite this compact, which the states are renegotiating in 2026, the basin’s water supply is shrinking.
—Dave White, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
While most of the food consumed in Kigali comes from other districts in Rwanda, farmland in those areas is shrinking, too, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office, Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, told The Associated Press.
—Evelyne Musambi, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The Work Isn’t Over While the shrinking list is cause for celebration, challenges remain.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Entry-level roles that once served as training grounds are shrinking.
—Ali Kaufman, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
In fact, on a recent trip to Florida, my blowout was undone within an hour of stepping outside, expanding in width and shrinking in length.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
As women’s earning power grows, their tolerance for an unequal domestic arrangement is shrinking.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Cash may still carry symbolic weight, but its everyday role is shrinking.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking
Adjective
-
Don’t be afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Is the economy struggling, with layoffs and wary investors afraid to lend?—
Alex Mayyasi,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dahl’s revulsion at the violence committed in Israel’s name is at once comprehensible, in and of itself, and rooted in Dahl’s set of antisemitic beliefs.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The scene plays out as if the actors are politely averting their eyes while performing, without conjuring the deep moral revulsion Wolfe and LaChiusa might’ve intended.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Consolidation of power This diminishing of the role of the presidency and political legitimacy forms the background to any questions of succession now.—
Roxane Razavi,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Based on the diminishing returns of the Reading Challenge over the years (at this point, the Library needs to be shut down and defunded.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s so much data in the spoken word that gets lost when those words are converted to text — just like compressing an audio file into a fuzzy MP3 removes some of the music.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Several people compressing the traditional learning curve.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Then, as things dragged on, Goldberg could be seen recoiling and wincing in her chair — and, at one point, fully collapsing backward in protest.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Satellite images collected from the region since 2009 indicate that the population of Emperor penguins in Antarctica has been decreasing for about a decade, Phillip Trathan, member of the IUCN's Penguin Specialist Group, told ABC News.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
This includes shoplifting, which dropped by nearly 3%; thefts from vehicles falling by 31%; and thefts of motor vehicle parts decreasing by about 27%, the report said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the earliest of American masculinity influencers was President Theodore Roosevelt, who touted his own transformation from a timid, effeminate man – local presses mocked him in his early career – to a rugged outdoorsman.—
Miriam Eve Mora,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla star as two fifty-something men from Italy’s northern Veneto area who befriend a timid student from Naples, played by Filippo Scotti.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But many in the MAGA movement recoil at such strictures.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But when his drill struck rebar, the recoil snapped back into his mouth, breaking his teeth all over again.—
Brit McCandless Farmer,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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