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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in recoiling
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
shrinking back from the approaching flames
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in afraid
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in revulsion
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in diminishing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of shrinking
Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
Among the consequences will be a shrinking of the civic arena, which could create an opening for nondemocratic actors such as China and Russia to expand their regional influence.
—Omar G. Encarnación, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2025
The bigger obstacles are the shrinking of the federal forest workforce over the past two decades, the low commercial value of the small trees and brush that need to be removed, and the lack of contractors, processing facilities and markets for low-value wood.
—Tony Cheng, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2025
This fabric can maintain its structure without deforming, shrinking, or melting.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2025
The industry is in a precarious place right now because of the contraction and the shrinking of the industry — less product, less money to go around — so that especially affects indies.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
The bigger obstacles are the shrinking of the federal forest workforce over the past two decades, the low commercial value of the small trees and brush that need to be removed, and the lack of contractors, processing facilities and markets for low-value wood.
—Tony Cheng, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2025
The simplest single-layer crust requires a bit of know-how and finesse to prevent shrinking, slumping, toughness, or worst of all, sogginess.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
With layoffs hitting white-collar sectors and remote flexibility shrinking, more professionals are considering freelance and contract roles for stability (and autonomy) in a shifting labor market.
—The Hill, 29 Aug. 2025
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Most pressing is inflation – but there’s also Japan’s demographic crisis, with a rapidly aging population, falling birthrate, shrinking workforce, and growing costs of elder care and welfare.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Republicans have not sought to hide the enthusiasm under which Vought, an advocate for drastically shrinking the workforce, would approach such cuts.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
This plug design prevents the palladium from shrinking or clumping at high heat—the degradation that limits conventional films.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
The half-life of specific technical skills is shrinking dramatically.
—Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
But as children spend more time with technology and less in pretend play, these opportunities are shrinking.
—Ekaterina Muravevskaia, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
When asked about whether as many as 300,000 workers could lose their jobs, Vought emphasized the administration’s broader goal of shrinking Washington’s reach.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
The appeals court reversed a lower court decision that found a state law shrinking the council’s size from 40 to 20 members unconstitutional.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Yet even as detox numbers improve, the number of outreach workers countywide able to connect people to services is at risk of shrinking.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
Among the consequences will be a shrinking of the civic arena, which could create an opening for nondemocratic actors such as China and Russia to expand their regional influence.
—Omar G. Encarnación, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2025
The bigger obstacles are the shrinking of the federal forest workforce over the past two decades, the low commercial value of the small trees and brush that need to be removed, and the lack of contractors, processing facilities and markets for low-value wood.
—Tony Cheng, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2025
This fabric can maintain its structure without deforming, shrinking, or melting.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2025
The industry is in a precarious place right now because of the contraction and the shrinking of the industry — less product, less money to go around — so that especially affects indies.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025
The bigger obstacles are the shrinking of the federal forest workforce over the past two decades, the low commercial value of the small trees and brush that need to be removed, and the lack of contractors, processing facilities and markets for low-value wood.
—Tony Cheng, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2025
The simplest single-layer crust requires a bit of know-how and finesse to prevent shrinking, slumping, toughness, or worst of all, sogginess.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
With layoffs hitting white-collar sectors and remote flexibility shrinking, more professionals are considering freelance and contract roles for stability (and autonomy) in a shifting labor market.
—The Hill, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
Trump insists that trillions in new investment are flowing in, the trade deficit is shrinking, and the nation is flush enough to consider mailing out checks.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Most pressing is inflation – but there’s also Japan’s demographic crisis, with a rapidly aging population, falling birthrate, shrinking workforce, and growing costs of elder care and welfare.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Republicans have not sought to hide the enthusiasm under which Vought, an advocate for drastically shrinking the workforce, would approach such cuts.
—Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 3 Oct. 2025
This plug design prevents the palladium from shrinking or clumping at high heat—the degradation that limits conventional films.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025
The half-life of specific technical skills is shrinking dramatically.
—Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
But as children spend more time with technology and less in pretend play, these opportunities are shrinking.
—Ekaterina Muravevskaia, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2025
When asked about whether as many as 300,000 workers could lose their jobs, Vought emphasized the administration’s broader goal of shrinking Washington’s reach.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
The appeals court reversed a lower court decision that found a state law shrinking the council’s size from 40 to 20 members unconstitutional.
—Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking
Verb
-
But Grok’s issues are not the result of a novel algorithm behaving in novel ways so much as an algorithm compressing and refracting all of the worst tendencies of the internet in very predictable forms.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Unlike regular audio formats like MP3 and AAC, which remove certain details while compressing an audio file, the lossless format preserves every detail from the original recording.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Americans are recoiling from the Democratic Party, and even in blue states like Colorado, Democrats are feeling the burn.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
16 Sep. 2025
-
And the supporters who responded to his complaints about overzealous Democrats aren’t recoiling.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Twin Cities,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women, behind lung cancer, although death rates have been decreasing over the last three decades.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The fabric was woven with regenerative cotton from Spain and dyed with Candiani’s Indigo Juice technology, which keeps the dye superficial on yarns, decreasing the energy, water, and chemicals consumption.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Taylor Swift knows what excellence requires and is not afraid to demand it.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Don’t be afraid to use your gut instinct.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The move follows widespread public revulsion over the attacks in the UK.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Meanwhile, voices on the left responded with revulsion.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Organizations with a poor data foundation see diminishing returns from technology investments, while those with superior data infrastructure experience accelerating returns.—
Tammy Hawes,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
According to a recent Bank of America Institute survey, lower-income families have experienced diminishing growth in after-tax earnings, with August marking the slowest rate since 2016.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Remove jewelry or constricting clothing quickly, before any swelling begins.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Relationships that feel financially or emotionally constricting may feel harder to ignore now.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ross passed the day's examination with flying colors, barely flinching at the rubber chicken.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Skubal, apparently flinching with the noise, balked for only the second time in his career.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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