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Definitions

shorten

[shawr-tn] / ˈʃɔr tn /
VERB
diminish, decrease
Synonyms
STRONGEST
abbreviate compress curtail cut cut back cut down lessen minimize reduce shrink slash trim
STRONG
abridge bob chop clip condense contract dock edit elide excerpt lop retrench snip
WEAK
blue pencil boil down cut to the bone make a long story short put in a nutshell
Antonyms
STRONGEST
develop enlarge expand extend grow increase lengthen raise strengthen stretch
WEAK
amplify elongate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We all can shorten that time by keeping an eye on balls that our partners hit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Standard treatment focuses on rehydration, while antibiotics can shorten the illness but do not eliminate the toxins left behind.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

The fast-entry rule would shorten the time it takes for a newly public company to make the Nasdaq-100 roster to less than a month.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Most recently, complaints around the staccato beat from pickleball games prompted local authorities to shorten court hours and put out noise reminders.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

As normal cells go through life, their telomeres shorten with each division until they’re almost gone.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Vocabulary lists containing shorten

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