shrank

[shrangk] / ʃræŋk /

VERB

become smaller

Synonyms

STRONGEST

decrease diminish drop off dwindle fall off lessen narrow reduce shorten shrivel wane weaken wither

STRONG

compress concentrate condense constrict contract deflate fail waste wrinkle

WEAK

fall short grow smaller waste away

Antonyms

STRONGEST

develop enlarge expand extend grow increase lengthen raise rise strengthen

STRONG

blow up loosen stretch

WEAK

face meet take on

VERB

recoil, shy away

Synonyms

STRONGEST

recede retreat

STRONG

blench boggle contract cower cringe crouch demur flinch huddle quail refuse retire scruple shudder slink wince withdraw

WEAK

draw back hang back

Antonyms

STRONGEST

advance forge

STRONG

accept allow consent face meet stretch

WEAK

develop enlarge expand grow take on

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.

For the first time in my life, I shrank with embarrassment.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The letter also bizarrely claims that tumor biopsies—which are done in most cancer trials—could have been the reason that tumors shrank and patients entered remission.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

In 2025, the sector's workforce in Switzerland shrank for the first time since the Covid crisis, falling by 1.3 percent to 64,807 people, according to the Swiss Watch Industry Employers' Association.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

As a result, the U.S. beef cattle inventory shrank to its lowest level since 1962, a problem that restricts beef supplies for years.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2026

He reached for the doorknob that opened the way out into the unlit hall, then shrank back as he glimpsed the vacuity of the rest of the building.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick