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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.

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

From Science Daily • May 1, 2026

Businesses, he said, will need to consider whether it's worth the extra costs to shorten travel by just a few days.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

There was a machinery working to shorten his punishment.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

Policymakers this week cited the impact of rising oil costs because of the Iran war, as countries have had to shorten workweeks, ration cooking fuel and find ways to subsidize the costs for their consumers.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 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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