as in to reduce
to make less in extent or duration
we decided to shorten the distance we had to walk home by cutting across the neighbor's lawn if Grandma has to go shopping today, you'll need to shorten your visit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shorten
Over time, the town's name was shortened to simply Crown King.
—
Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 7 July 2025
French settlers later changed the spelling to Michilimackinac, adapting it to the French language, and the British eventually shortened the name to Mackinac.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 July 2025
After the acquisition, Nordstrom pushed to expand the service yet to contain costs, instituted a $25 at-home try-on fee and shortened the return window, negatively impacting what male customers had come to expect.
—Jennifer J. Fondrevay, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Hot weather speeds up chemical reactions inside your battery, which shortens its lifespan.
—Bethany Wales, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shorten
Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 7 July 2025
French settlers later changed the spelling to Michilimackinac, adapting it to the French language, and the British eventually shortened the name to Mackinac.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 July 2025
After the acquisition, Nordstrom pushed to expand the service yet to contain costs, instituted a $25 at-home try-on fee and shortened the return window, negatively impacting what male customers had come to expect.
—Jennifer J. Fondrevay, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Hot weather speeds up chemical reactions inside your battery, which shortens its lifespan.
—Bethany Wales, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shorten
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shorten
Verb
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The move comes amid mounting frustration with the country’s law enforcement, which for decades has faced allegations of abuse — including thousands of cases of a still-prevalent torture mechanism used during apartheid — and yet failed to reduce crime.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
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The maximum $6,000 senior bonus deduction is then reduced by $900 in this example to reach a senior deduction of $5,100.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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In the challenge to a federal subsidy program for phone and internet service, for example, the court passed up a chance to further curtail the power of federal agencies.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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To curtail Hamas’ ability to purchase weapons and pay its fighters, Israel stopped allowing cash to enter Gaza at the start of the war.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Fortune,
11 July 2025
Verb
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There’s a cool, if truncated, car chase in which AMELIA treats humans like roadblocks, flinging us into traffic by freezing scooters and releasing cash from sidewalk ATMs.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
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In time, Shahn worried that his imagination was truncated by photography, or that people thought as much.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
24 June 2025
Verb
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Bennett is a popular gender-neutral first name and can be abbreviated to Benny or Ben.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
9 July 2025
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Copyright is the subject of entire college courses, so keep in mind the following is heavily abbreviated.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Note some answers have been abridged for space and clarity.—
Scott Wartman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 May 2025
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Other law firms, such as Perkins Coie and WilmerHale, have challenged the administration’s orders and petitioned federal courts to bar enforcement of these orders that, in their view, are retaliatory in nature and abridge their right to free speech and engage freely in the practice of law.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Verb
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In the summer heat, the foliage usually dies back, and it is recommended to cut back the stems at that point.—
Lauren David,
Southern Living,
6 July 2025
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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called CalFresh in the state, also may have to cut back.—
David Lightman
Updated July 3,
Sacbee.com,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shorten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shorten. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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