1
as in to compress
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to flinch
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
shrinking back from the approaching flames
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to decrease
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrink
Acronyms and jargon illegible to civilians are flying everywhere, and the world effectively shrinks down to a two-story duplex the Americans have commandeered and the market across the street viewed almost exclusively through a sniper’s scope.
—
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
This amounted to a first quarter that shrank 1.1 percent against the same period in 2024, and down almost 6 percent against 2023.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
Total global trade will now shrink 0.2%, the organization expects, compared to a 2.7% growth forecast without tariffs.
—Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
Like Wells, many business owners are thinking of pulling back: perhaps shrink the store's selection so there's less to ship, freeze hiring, pause advertising or developing new products — stop growing and go into survival mode.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrink
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
This amounted to a first quarter that shrank 1.1 percent against the same period in 2024, and down almost 6 percent against 2023.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
Total global trade will now shrink 0.2%, the organization expects, compared to a 2.7% growth forecast without tariffs.
—Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
Like Wells, many business owners are thinking of pulling back: perhaps shrink the store's selection so there's less to ship, freeze hiring, pause advertising or developing new products — stop growing and go into survival mode.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrink
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrink
Verb
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The song is deliberately compressed to sound like a Phil Spector track, and a video John made for the Gilbert O’Sullivan Show in 1973 features a rare cameo from Bernie mimicking Ray Cooper on bells.—
Shana Naomi Krochmal,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
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Many of them focus on radically new technologies for heating and compressing plasmas, or fusing unusual combinations of isotopes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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When confronted with this new, harsh reality, our state didn’t flinch.—
Wes Moore,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Apr. 2025
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Yes, there will be some wins, at least from an optics perspective, but especially with China neither Trump nor Xi wants to be the first to flinch.—
Chuck Jones,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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On the other hand, just 5 percent said tariffs would decrease prices in the short term, and 30 percent said the policy would lower prices in the long term.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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And the over-all number of abortions in the U.S. may eventually decrease as a result of Dobbs.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.—
Quispe López,
Them.,
8 Apr. 2025
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The following interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Just look at what could’ve been the game-winning 3-pointer: The entire nation, minus Gator fans, winced at that.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
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City officials winced at the thought of heavy military equipment rolling on streets.—
Cuneyt Dil,
Axios,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The previous six champions were all diminished the following season by either injuries or significant roster changes.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Lacy turned himself in to police on Jan. 12, but his NFL Draft prospects were significantly diminished by the wreck.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Benson Boone is wearing another constricting pair of pants.—
Jack Irvin,
People.com,
18 Mar. 2025
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There, themes previously constricted by plot flow more freely, as if Jacobs-Jenkins is getting to a backlog of notes after the fact.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Markets recoiled at the developments, sending stocks into a vicious two-day sell-off that put the Nasdaq Composite, home to powerhouse Silicon Valley names that Trump has been courting in the early days of his second term, into a bear market.—
Erin Doherty,Annika Kim Constantino,Yun Li,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2025
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When others recoiled in disgust from sick and suffering people, the Buddha cared for them, showing that healing and dignity come from love.—
Rabbi Dana Magat,
The Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrink.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrink. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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