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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.

"However, given the nature of the matter, the EFL will ask the independent disciplinary commission to shorten the response period and to list a hearing at the earliest opportunity."

From BBC • May 8, 2026

The tool identified various combinations of factors such as pressure and temperature inside the drug’s manufacturing equipment that could be tweaked to shorten the process, said Scot Lindsey, senior vice president of manufacturing and quality.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Eccentric exercise focuses on the phase when muscles lengthen rather than shorten.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2026

There was a machinery working to shorten his punishment.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

Day after day was like this, and we began to shorten our hauls, for by midafternoon both of us would be sweating and shaking with strain and fatigue.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Vocabulary lists containing shorten

Banned Book Week Words

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