SHRINKS Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

shrinks

verb

present tense third-person singular of shrink

as in compresses

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

as in recoils

to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust shrinking back from the approaching flames

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in decreases

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 shrinks As groundwater shrinks, those like Jan who can afford the upfront cost keep digging deeper; those who can’t rely on expensive tanker water or hand pumps at mosques. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Over the six episodes, alliances shift, egos clash, and pressure builds as the group shrinks. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026 What shrinks is the team available, timeline and budget to do the work, not the work itself. — Miki Kapoor, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 In this technique the GPU renders a game at a resolution higher than the one being displayed and then shrinks the image to the target resolution. — Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 An old drawer can also start to fall apart as the glue fails or the wood shrinks. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026 Along with the shift from casual food to a more upscale menu, Gene's Supper Club shrinks in size from regular-season Barnacle Bud's. — Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The Lycra® VintageFX fiber shrinks under heat during finishing and protects the Lycra® fiber in the core, absorbing some of the stress put on the stretch material. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026 The proportion of people older than 65 is rising rapidly, while the working-age population that supports them shrinks. — Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinks

Verb

Deal teams that prepare before a potential transaction (something my company has created a checklist for) can gain an advantage as technology compresses timelines.

— Rusty Wiley, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Much like an engine compresses fuel before ignition, FLARE first assembles the fuel to high density before delivering a separate, rapid burst of energy to trigger fusion.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of compresses

Verb

The front finally moves through on Friday, but some heavy rain will still be possible early, before the chance of rain decreases into the weekend.

— Michael Autovino, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
The Nebraska researchers also found that hafnia becomes more stable as its thickness decreases.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of decreases

Verb

This stress response constricts blood vessels and accelerates heart rate, which can contribute to blood pressure spikes.

— Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 11 June 2026
The coldness of the water constricts arteries, requiring the heart to work harder than normal to function.

— Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026

Definition of constricts

Verb

Warner flinches not about a birthday that is often associated with the beginning of decline.

— Dan Pompei, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Advertisement Throughout the narrative, Johnson never flinches in his portrayal of the wreck, unleashing footage of investigators approaching the car and the victims’ families.

— Jake King-Schreifels, Time, 15 May 2026

Definition of flinches

Verb

By effectively raising the threshold in the playoffs, the NFL acknowledges that over-officiating diminishes the product and that marginal penalties should not decide its most important games.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Subtracting LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges somewhat diminishes the overall talent, but Charlotte wanted Miller and Knueppel to usher them into the next era.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminishes

Verb

LaFleur winces, until learning the Packers were a respectable 16th in core-four performance (as measured by Expected Points Added) last season.

— Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Toxicologist Fernández has stayed in touch with his patient and still winces about how Mark feared reporting the crime to the police could reflect poorly on him professionally.

— Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026