1
as in deal
a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation
accused her of breaking their contract by not completing the decorating job on budget
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in agreement
an arrangement about action to be taken
a contract outlining what needed to be done by each person
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to get
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shrink
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
metal contracts at low temperatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to compress
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
contract the calf muscles in your legs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to bargain
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action
the farmer contracted for delivery of the hay by the first of July
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of contract
Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Like Lazard, Hall is also in the final year of his contract.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 14 July 2025
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 17 July 2025
New Glenn is also tapped by NASA to fly Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar landers, one of which is contracted to be the human landing system for the Artemis V mission no earlier than 2029.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contract
Noun
Its job was to find fledgling technology companies with interesting ideas and give them contracts.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Like Lazard, Hall is also in the final year of his contract.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 14 July 2025
Verb
Beyond learning how to dance, Spock has contracted the services of a wedding planner who, to everyone else, appears to be an Andorian but to our eyes, again, looks like Rhys Darby.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 17 July 2025
New Glenn is also tapped by NASA to fly Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar landers, one of which is contracted to be the human landing system for the Artemis V mission no earlier than 2029.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for contract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contract
Noun
-
Boston could try to land a star prospect or two from a contending team in a deal for Chapman.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
-
By the end of the original 10-year deal, MLS rights may very well be worth at least what Apple paid for them – especially as sports increasingly dominate live TV.—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
In 2019, during the first Trump administration, the U.S. also suspended the trade agreement but it was lifted after a new agreement was reached, Jungmeyer said.—
Daniel Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
-
The pair’s status as NATO members means each would defend the other if attacked, but the new agreement deepens cooperation, including further integrating arms exports, weapons development, and military doctrines, and a pledge to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
21 July 2025
Verb
-
The Raptors got within one on a 3-pointer by Jamal Shead with 3:56 to go.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
20 July 2025
-
Here are recommendations for maintaining safety during a thunderstorm: To reduce the chance of being struck by lightning, when venturing outside, have a plan to get to a safer area.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
Their margins have shrunk as competition and the share of money in low-cost index funds have grown.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
Net income dropped year over year as margins continued to shrink, pressured by lower average selling prices, higher raw material costs, and global trade headwinds.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 July 2025
Verb
-
It's considered lossless to the eye, but the signal is actually compressed at a 3:1 ratio.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
13 July 2025
-
However, extreme space weather events may compress – or in some cases, peel back – the Earth’s magnetic shield.—
Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti,
The Conversation,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Combined with inflation boosting home repair prices, the costs of homeownership are more than many people bargained for.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
17 July 2025
-
And managing them came with more responsibilities than Niven bargained for.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
With its guarantee of seclusion and privacy, the island has become a celebrity haven (so much so that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson bought a home there).—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
-
While Lazard and Hall will likely both make the team, there’s no guarantee for Corley, who missed substantial time in the spring due to an undisclosed injury.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Russia and North Korea last year inked a mutual-defense pact, according to Russian and North Korean media.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 July 2025
-
The pact is the first sports rights deal for Fox Nation, which was launched by Fox Corp. in 2018 as a streaming companion to Fox News.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contract. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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