Synonyms of shrinking

shrinking 1 of 3

adjective

as in afraid

Related Words

• afraid
• timid
• frightened
• scared
• terrified
• alarmed
• timorous
• tremulous
• worried
• aghast
• spooked
• panicked
• perturbed
• upset
• chicken
• fearsome
• horrified
• panicky
• fainthearted
• disquieted
• disturbed
• agitated
• fearful
• scary
• terrorized
• apprehensive
• tremulant
• hysterical
• affrighted
• disconcerted
• shocked
• phobic
• jittery
• horror-struck
• shy
• anxious
• nervous
• jumpy
• funky
• panic-stricken
• skittish
• cowed
• startled
• uneasy
• dismayed
• intimidated
• appalled
• wary
• daunted
• unnerved
• pusillanimous
• craven
• cautious
• cowardly
• coward
• careful
• gutless
• heedful
• unadventurous
• prudent
• lily-livered

Dissimilar Words

• fearless
• unafraid
• daring
• dashing
• plucky
• bold
• adventurous
• brave
• spirited
• venturesome
• composed
• heroic
• hardy
• audacious
• valiant
• stalwart
• spunky
• collected
• courageous
• gutsy
• unperturbed
• intrepid
• gallant
• sure
• stout
• confident
• sanguine
• cool
• daredevil
• valorous
• adventuresome
• assured
• venturous
• resolute
• undaunted
• manful
• dauntless
• lionhearted
• stouthearted

shrinking

2 of 3

noun

1

as in revulsion

Related Words

• revulsion
• recoil
• withdrawal
• retirement
• disengagement
• rout
• flinch
• recession
• retreat
• pullout
• pullback
• disentanglement

Dissimilar Words

• advance
• advancement

2

as in diminishing

Related Words

• diminishing
• reducing
• decreasing
• shortening
• contraction
• compression
• lessening
• curtailment
• abbreviation
• abridgment
• condensation
• abruptness
• shortness
• brusqueness
• curtness
• tautness
• crispness
• brevity
• succinctness
• terseness
• conciseness
• smallness
• briefness
• compendiousness
• laconism
• minuteness
• pithiness
• tininess
• littleness

Dissimilar Words

• stretching
• extending
• growth
• extension
• elongation
• expansion
• extensiveness
• elongating
• lengthiness
• prolongation
• prolonging
• spread
• protraction
• diffuseness
• bigness
• greatness
• prolixity
• volubility
• garrulousness
• largeness
• talkativeness
• bulkiness
• wordiness
• verboseness
• talkiness
• long-windedness
• heftiness

shrinking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shrink

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• compressing
• decreasing
• condensing
• constricting
• collapsing
• contracting
• flattening
• diminishing
• retreating
• dwindling
• withdrawing
• shriveling
• receding
• lessening
• drying up
• withering
• deflating
• wilting
• abating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expanding
• swelling
• increasing
• growing
• accumulating
• ballooning
• snowballing
• inflating
• puffing (up)
• ballooning

2

as in recoiling

to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust

shrinking back from the approaching flames

Synonyms & Similar Words

• recoiling
• flinching
• wincing
• cringing
• shuddering
• trembling
• hesitating
• blenching
• quivering
• quailing
• shaking
• retreating
• squinching
• quaking
• blanching
• withdrawing
• receding
• whitening
• crouching
• faltering
• paling
• twitching
• retiring
• jerking
• starting
• wavering
• reeling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• approaching
• advancing
• nearing
• facing
• confronting
• challenging
• defying
• bearding

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decreasing
• diminishing
• subsiding
• declining
• falling
• vanishing
• easing
• dwindling
• ebbing
• receding
• waning
• tapering
• moderating
• lessening
• lowering
• weakening
• evaporating
• dropping (off)
• dying (away or down or out)
• draining (away)
• falling away
• tapering off
• relenting
• ratcheting (down)
• remitting
• abating
• collapsing
• compressing
• racheting (down)
• palling
• letting up
• phasing down
• contracting
• constricting
• de-escalating
• condensing
• melting (away)
• alleviating
• slackening
• fading (away)
• slowing (down)
• relaxing
• frittering (away)
• tailing (off)
• petering (out)
• giving out
• sinking
• flagging
• deflating
• caving (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increasing
• growing
• expanding
• rising
• building
• swelling
• enlarging
• mounting
• intensifying
• accumulating
• burgeoning
• escalating
• soaring
• emerging
• appearing
• picking up
• mushrooming
• ballooning
• waxing
• snowballing
• lengthening
• showing up
• blowing up
• elongating
• distending

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shrinking

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 supply shrinking, the states continue squabbling. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 26 June 2026

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

Verb

In other words, just as demand for orbit is exploding, the usable capacity of some orbital zones may be shrinking. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026

His government also points to shrinking the gender pay gap and boosting support for women’s reproductive health. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 6 July 2026

The veteran actor recently took the opportunity to reflect on an anxious Hollywood, shrinking opportunities and why smart comedies feel essential in a fractured, exhausted country. — Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Demographic emergency Russia’s population has been shrinking for most of the past decade. — Diana Dukhanova, The Conversation, 6 July 2026

According to a report from trustees, the retirement fund is set to run out by 2032 due to a rising number of retirees and a shrinking workforce. — Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2026

Moreover, washing certain fabrics in hot water can do more harm than good, leading to shrinking, fading, texture changes, and other types of damage. — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026

Germany’s economy returned to modest growth last year after shrinking for two years in a row. — ABC News, 2 July 2026

Another report, released in May by the Institute for the Study of War, determined Russia had lost control of 116 square kilometers in April alone, and that its military’s rate of advancement had been shrinking since November 2025. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 2 July 2026

Phrases Containing shrinking

• shrinking violet