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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrinking
Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
During the same period, union membership declined, the Democratic Party abandoned its working-class base, and both parties presided over the shrinking of the middle class.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Are your balances growing or shrinking?
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
When so much of what’s wrong in the world is the narrowing and shrinking of our moral circles, a movement that effectively challenges that has to do the opposite.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Send us the original, unedited photos from your phone or camera as JPGs—no cropping or shrinking is needed.
—Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
This trend has been coupled with a gradual shrinking of the welfare state.
—Miranda Sheild Johansson, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Congress should avoid policies that serve only wealthy depositors, to the detriment of the banking industry’s soundness and, not to mention, the shrinking of account-holders’ wallets.
—Tyler Curtis, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
These lobes atrophy, and the shrinking of these areas can cause speech issues, emotional problems and changes in personality.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
When snowpack runs low, the effects ripple months later — shrinking reservoirs, stressed supplies, and tougher water decisions as temperatures rise.
—James Ward, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
The curbing of international migration comes as some economists and population experts have argued that more immigrants will be key to growing the economy in Milwaukee and Wisconsin – especially with a declining birth rate and projections of a shrinking population.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The downsizing trend of the 1990s did not actually result in the pool of office jobs shrinking.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
People moving away, a shrinking tax base, and long-term pension liability are also causing Illinois to grow more slowly than other states.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Highlander sales have been shrinking at the same time, down to just 51,782 last year, although Toyota is competing with itself to some extent.
—New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2026
Rather than shrinking, the company added nearly 500 employees over the year, a pace more than double the growth seen in 2024.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
Yearslong discussions about how to split the river’s shrinking water supply, which is relied upon by 40 million people, remained deadlocked as the Saturday deadline for a final deal came and went.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 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
Heat can melt the synthetic fibers, causing shrinking, curling, and the fusing of the fibers.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026
During the same period, union membership declined, the Democratic Party abandoned its working-class base, and both parties presided over the shrinking of the middle class.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Are your balances growing or shrinking?
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
When so much of what’s wrong in the world is the narrowing and shrinking of our moral circles, a movement that effectively challenges that has to do the opposite.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Send us the original, unedited photos from your phone or camera as JPGs—no cropping or shrinking is needed.
—Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
This trend has been coupled with a gradual shrinking of the welfare state.
—Miranda Sheild Johansson, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Congress should avoid policies that serve only wealthy depositors, to the detriment of the banking industry’s soundness and, not to mention, the shrinking of account-holders’ wallets.
—Tyler Curtis, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
These lobes atrophy, and the shrinking of these areas can cause speech issues, emotional problems and changes in personality.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
Industrial push The race to perfect robots and automate is part of Beijing’s sweeping push to upgrade the country’s manufacturing capabilities and defend its position as the world’s factory floor in a new era of high tech, rising labor costs and a shrinking workforce.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
When snowpack runs low, the effects ripple months later — shrinking reservoirs, stressed supplies, and tougher water decisions as temperatures rise.
—James Ward, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
The curbing of international migration comes as some economists and population experts have argued that more immigrants will be key to growing the economy in Milwaukee and Wisconsin – especially with a declining birth rate and projections of a shrinking population.
—Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 18 Feb. 2026
The downsizing trend of the 1990s did not actually result in the pool of office jobs shrinking.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
People moving away, a shrinking tax base, and long-term pension liability are also causing Illinois to grow more slowly than other states.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
Highlander sales have been shrinking at the same time, down to just 51,782 last year, although Toyota is competing with itself to some extent.
—New Atlas, 18 Feb. 2026
Rather than shrinking, the company added nearly 500 employees over the year, a pace more than double the growth seen in 2024.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
Yearslong discussions about how to split the river’s shrinking water supply, which is relied upon by 40 million people, remained deadlocked as the Saturday deadline for a final deal came and went.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking
Adjective
-
Don’t be afraid to wear these shoes to the fullest.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Thank you for your attempt at helping in the noble cause of mannerliness, but Miss Manners is afraid that your suggestion represents the problem, not the solution.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Widespread revulsion at the assassination led to a crackdown on the Red Brigades and the beginning of the end of the group’s influence.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Manscaped’s ‘Hair Ballad’ Several ads trafficked in revulsion as an attention-getter, none more so than this one for a body shaver featuring various clumps of removed body hair singing with their little hairy mouths.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While tech giants pour billions into ever larger training runs, Hooker argues the approach is seeing diminishing returns.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The tech itself is also starting to show diminishing returns with each new model release.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Goldman Sachs here plots the relative valuation of asset-light over asset-heavy companies, compressing toward zero.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Traveling at Mach 5 or faster, these systems can cross vast distances in minutes, drastically compressing response times and challenging existing missile defense architectures.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
His most intense fans may revel in his displays of dominance, but his least attached supporters—the ones who turned him from a loser in 2020 to a winner in 2024—are recoiling.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has been riding roughshod over Washington and voters are recoiling.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The bill prohibits cities and counties from decreasing funding for public safety, which representatives from the local governments say isn’t possible.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The goal is to minimize traffic spillover onto surrounding streets while providing more reliable travel times for people in cars and freight trucks and decreasing travel times for buses.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
At the heart of the series is Deano’s friendship with Kit, his timid best mate from the wealthy side of town.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The Court, despite its conservative majority, has enforced the limits on arbitrary presidential authority that congressional Republicans were too timid to enforce themselves.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
David asks whether the country can find a way back from a dangerous moral and political impasse, as a majority of Americans recoil from these actions while a determined minority continue to defend them.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Fans recoil at the idea of betrayal.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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