as in afraid
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in revulsion
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in diminishing
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
California dunes are shrinking A new study shows California has lost more than half of its coastal sand dunes over the last 165 years, Daniella Segura reports.
—Kristin Scharkey, USA Today, 24 June 2026
In an economic forecast released last year, the Florida Chamber of Commerce projected that the state’s working-age population — adults between 18 and 64 — would decline between 2023 and 2025, shrinking the available workforce.
—Sofia Baltodano
june 24, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
Some seize on context (what is known or knowable, facts external to Vermeer) as a means of shrinking the blank space surrounding his work.
—Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Crowley’s lawyers allege their client repeatedly pointed out the LAFD’s worsening resource and staffing crisis before the fire and warned that aging infrastructure, surging emergency calls and shrinking staff left the city at risk.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026
Germany's economy returned to modest growth last year after shrinking for two years in a row.
—ABC News, 23 June 2026
During high-stakes moments, a shrinking timer bar at the top of the screen forces you to quickly scan the room for an interactive object.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 23 June 2026
Germany’s economy returned to modest growth last year after shrinking for two years in a row.
—Geir Moulson, Fortune, 23 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
That has led to the country’s GDP shrinking by roughly 80% since 2013.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
California dunes are shrinking A new study shows California has lost more than half of its coastal sand dunes over the last 165 years, Daniella Segura reports.
—Kristin Scharkey, USA Today, 24 June 2026
In an economic forecast released last year, the Florida Chamber of Commerce projected that the state’s working-age population — adults between 18 and 64 — would decline between 2023 and 2025, shrinking the available workforce.
—Sofia Baltodano
june 24, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
Some seize on context (what is known or knowable, facts external to Vermeer) as a means of shrinking the blank space surrounding his work.
—Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Crowley’s lawyers allege their client repeatedly pointed out the LAFD’s worsening resource and staffing crisis before the fire and warned that aging infrastructure, surging emergency calls and shrinking staff left the city at risk.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026
Germany's economy returned to modest growth last year after shrinking for two years in a row.
—ABC News, 23 June 2026
During high-stakes moments, a shrinking timer bar at the top of the screen forces you to quickly scan the room for an interactive object.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 23 June 2026
Germany’s economy returned to modest growth last year after shrinking for two years in a row.
—Geir Moulson, Fortune, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking
Adjective
-
That's the part so many seem afraid to say out loud.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
-
The people who worked for cooperatives were particularly afraid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 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
-
Quantum computing is compressing the half-life of the cryptographic standards the financial system runs on.—
Jacob D. Frankel,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
But Cape Verde simply did not wilt in a solid, switched-on 4-5-1 defensive shape, compressing space between the lines and defending heroically in their own penalty area to keep the European Champions at bay, and committing only one foul in the process — the fewest ever recorded in a World Cup game.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
16 June 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
-
Others primarily improve quality of life, extend survival or delay complications without necessarily decreasing total lifetime healthcare expenditures.—
Jeffrey Wessler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Orbán hopes the Patriots for Europe will be a vehicle for transforming the EU to his vision, for example, by decreasing the bloc’s purview in matters of rule of law and democracy, taking a zero-tolerance approach to immigration and steering toward deeper cooperation with Russia and China.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
That might sound too timid in 2026, too reserved for a time when rights are being rolled back every day, and Gauthier recorded a much more direct version of the song late last year.—
Stephen Deusner,
SPIN,
15 June 2026
-
And despite a timid political opening that has allowed the return of several opposition leaders and the emergence of others from hiding, over 400 political prisoners remain in custody as of May 25, according to figures compiled by the NGO Foro Penal.—
Alfredo Meza,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Moreover, large mammals reuse significant shares of energy spent running, because a part of the kinetic and potential energy deployed to run is temporarily stored as elastic strain in muscles and tendons and redeployed as elastic recoil.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 June 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Shrinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
