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as in to compress
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter over time the once-fluffy material in the pillow had condensed into a lumpy wad

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word condense different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of condense are compress, constrict, contract, deflate, and shrink. While all these words mean "to decrease in bulk or volume," condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content.

condense the essay into a paragraph

Where would compress be a reasonable alternative to condense?

While in some cases nearly identical to condense, compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance.

compressed cotton into bales

When would constrict be a good substitute for condense?

The meanings of constrict and condense largely overlap; however, constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter.

the throat is constricted by a tight collar

In what contexts can contract take the place of condense?

The words contract and condense can be used in similar contexts, but contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length.

caused her muscles to contract

When is it sensible to use deflate instead of condense?

The words deflate and condense are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas.

deflate the balloon

When could shrink be used to replace condense?

Although the words shrink and condense have much in common, shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions.

the sweater will shrink when washed

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of condense This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 9 Jan. 2025 Editor's note: These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity. Adam Carlson, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025 This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 14 Jan. 2025 Juno probe images The astronomers have also applied their technique to observations of Saturn, similarly finding that reflection from the main cloud layer occurs deeper than previously expected — also well below the level that ammonia would condense into clouds. Victoria Corless, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for condense 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for condense
Verb
  • To get a return less than that projected by the above formula, either the company has to underperform the consensus growth estimates or the stock's valuation would need to compress.
    GuruFocus, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Thirty years of change is being compressed into three years!
    Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Jair Bolsonaro’s Stay-Out-of-Jail Card: The former Brazilian president, squeezed by criminal investigations, is looking to Trump, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to shift his nation’s politics — and maybe keep him a free man.
    Ruth Maclean, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Turn the pot on its side and loosen the root ball from the pot's walls by squeezing or tapping the side of the pot a little.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Working with a sliding scale provider, as mentioned above, is another great way to reduce costs.
    Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Princess Anne has no plans to reduce her royal duties as her peers reach retirement age.
    Janine Henni, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • In the early 20th century, Black farmers owned 16 millions acres of land; today that number has shrunk to roughly a million.
    Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2025
  • As their military budgets shrank over the decades, European countries relied heavily on the United States for security, trusting in the NATO pledge that an attack on one member will be treated as an attack on all.
    Josh Holder, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Miners work to extract coltan at a mine, near Rubaya, in DR Congo's North Kivu region, on April 12, 2023.
    Nimi Princewill, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025
  • That leaves the other two ways of extracting equity as reasonable options.
    Nerdwallet, Twin Cities, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The 10 least relaxed states were all concentrated in the southern and southwestern states.
    Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 19 Jan. 2025
  • View all partners Email X (Twitter) Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Print One need only glance at headlines about Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and other super-wealthy individuals to understand that wealth in America is increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.
    Tom Kemeny, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The move is an apparent effort to repeal President Biden’s executive order to remove potential workforce barriers for the outlined demographic in 2021.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 22 Jan. 2025
  • The site, however, was removed during Trump's first term which started in 2017.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near condense

Cite this Entry

“Condense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/condense. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

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