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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.

The use of robots like Carri could shorten response times on orders and free up delivery drivers to take on more jobs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

This approach could also shorten cooking times, making it appealing for large-scale food production.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

Depending on how long the conflict lasts, however, some facilities could elect to shorten or postpone their usual May and June maintenance schedules, he said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 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

I did my best to shorten the haircut evenly, just below my chin.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis

Vocabulary lists containing shorten

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