1
as in to condense
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
a science textbook that compresses a lot of information about human reproduction into a few short chapters
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2
as in to shrink
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
the substance can compress under pressure
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Recent Examples of compress
Both centrifuges are used to model intense gravity to compress time and scale in experiments – which essentially lets scientists simulate long-term or large-scale physical phenomena such as dam structural integrity, earthquake damage, landslides, nuclear waste storage and more.
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New Atlas, 7 Jan. 2026
The timeline further compressed following the passage of the 2025 Reconciliation Act, which increased funding for more ICE agents and immigration judges to process cases faster, resulting in approximately 50,000 immigrants in detention daily through 2029, CBO said.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Jan. 2026
On social media, a centuries-old spiritual practice is compressed into a 15-second reel.
—The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2026
By generating forces thousands of times stronger than the Earth’s gravity, machines such as CHIEF compress time and distance.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for compress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compress
Verb
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The conversation has been necessarily condensed for clarity and to take out vast numbers of further digressions.—
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Campaigns for special elections are sprints, condensing what typically occurs over the better part of a year into no more than 56 days.—
Verb
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Headcount shrank for an 11th straight month, albeit at a slower pace, amid modest production growth.—
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The number of Republicans running for governor in Colorado has shrunk by two.—
Verb
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The Panthers squeezed a few end-of-career seasons out of guys such as Dino Ciccarelli and Igor Larionov.—
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Instead, 2026 is about building both stylish and sensible outfits that can take you from the airport to the streets with maximum versatility without ever squeezing into tight, form-fitting fabric.—
Cite this Entry
“Compress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compress. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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