shortened; shortening
ˈshȯrt-niŋ 
ˈshȯr-tᵊn-iŋ
1
a
: to reduce the length or duration of
b
: to cause to seem short
2
a
: to reduce in power or efficiency
is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem—
Isaiah 50:2 (Revised Standard Version)
Isaiah 50:2 (Revised Standard Version)
b
obsolete
: to deprive of effect
3
: to add fat to (something, such as pastry dough) in order to make tender and flaky
: to become short or shorter
Examples of shorten in a Sentence
shorten a pair of pants
He had to shorten the speech.
“Franklin D. Roosevelt” is often shortened to “FDR.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Among them, Florida is the only team to do so after playing a full 82-game regular season in all three years, as Tampa Bay’s first two seasons were shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Kaitlyn Pohly, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
Only time separates us from that result, and what matters most is shortening that time.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 8 June 2025
The reason the race was shortened is because to have a 1 1/2-mile race at Saratoga, the horses would have to start on a turn, something the organizers didn’t want to happen.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
The first mission, which flew in December, reduced the time between launch notification and lift off to around five months—and the May 30 mission shortened it even further, to around 90 days.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shorten
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Kaitlyn Pohly, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
Only time separates us from that result, and what matters most is shortening that time.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 8 June 2025
The reason the race was shortened is because to have a 1 1/2-mile race at Saratoga, the horses would have to start on a turn, something the organizers didn’t want to happen.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025
The first mission, which flew in December, reduced the time between launch notification and lift off to around five months—and the May 30 mission shortened it even further, to around 90 days.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shorten
Cite this Entry
“Shorten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shorten. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shorten
verb
short·en
ˈshȯrt-ᵊn
shortened; shortening
ˈshȯrt-niŋ
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to make or become short or shorter
2
: to add shortening to (as pastry dough)
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