as in afraid
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1
as in revulsion
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2
as in diminishing
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1
as in compressing
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
the sweater will shrink a little when washed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in recoiling
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
shrinking back from the approaching flames
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3
as in decreasing
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
his crush on her is likely to shrink after they start their new lives on different college campuses
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrinking
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2026
Schwartz thinks the shrinking of the federal workforce will hurt more than just the affected workers.
—Nicole Pilsbury, Baltimore Sun, 2 Jan. 2026
Washing the shirt at home can result in shrinking or distortion of the fabric and excessive wrinkling.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 31 Dec. 2025
This machine-washable base layer is made out of 100 percent super fine Merino wool that won’t itch, unlike other options on the market (but make sure to air dry to avoid shrinking).
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2025
The United States has a shrinking and increasingly aging conventional force structure.
—Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
With federal and state funding shrinking, members say the need is only growing.
—Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Another concern is that too much Botox at too high a dose over time can cause excessive atrophy, or shrinking of the muscles.
—NPR, 17 Nov. 2025
Orbital Arc’s use of naphthalene aids in their shrinking of product costs, which the company claims is at 25 to 33 percent of traditional Hall thrusters.
—Perri Thaler, IEEE Spectrum, 9 Nov. 2025
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 11 Jan. 2026
That’s a relatively small slice of the pie, and it’s been shrinking in recent years as interest rates have gone up.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
In a situation where the availability of affordable housing stock is shrinking and the possibility of demand increasing, the Chiefs coming to town could present more housing needs, Baughman said.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2026
The principal water rights holders, including 30 tribes, seven states and Mexico, have wrestled with how to allocate water in a shrinking river.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 10 Jan. 2026
The state's primary care workforce is shrinking faster than in most other states, according to a recent report.
—Martha Bebinger, NPR, 9 Jan. 2026
This could also help builder margins, which have been shrinking lately because of higher costs.
—Diana Olick, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
Workforce developmentAccording to the Government Accountability Office, the watchdog organization overseeing federal activities, a shrinking and overtasked workforce may be the greatest of all challenges facing military and commercial shipbuilding.
—Hope Hodge Seck, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
The centerpiece of the package’s first half is shrinking the power of the city’s Historical Resources Board by allowing the City Council to reverse its decisions.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
The cycle starts at medium heat, followed by a cool-down to prevent shrinking and wrinkling.
—Verb
Scientists believe that shrinking this laser-plasma accelerator (LPA) technology could eventually allow these diagnostic tools to be installed directly at large-scale fusion facilities.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking
Adjective
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The opposition ranged from clinical and code-based to angry and afraid.—
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From animal prints to floral patterns and everything in between, don’t be afraid to let loose and have fun with patterns in your space.—
Noun
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That revulsion, though, is usually expressed tonally rather than verbally—in the loveless couplings, or in the cold white privacy of yet another bathroom stall.—
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Even House Speaker Mike Johnson, who otherwise has humored Trump at every turn, has expressed revulsion at the idea of a pardon.—
Noun
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But efforts to mitigate human harms—restricting harvests, remodeling dams, breeding salmon in hatcheries—are yielding diminishing returns.—
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Classic challenges like the talent show and Snatch Game have had diminishing returns.—
Verb
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Outside the dome, a series of machines connected by undulating pipes moves the CO2 out of the dome for compressing and condensing.—
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Always, understanding comes from pinpointing the relevant factors and forgetting the rest, from compressing nature’s endless intricacies into a human-readable story about the universe.—
Verb
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Bassist Franz Lyons, standing nearby onstage, is seen recoiling and shielding his eyes from the dispersing spray.—
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Americans are recoiling from the Democratic Party, and even in blue states like Colorado, Democrats are feeling the burn.—
Verb
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For women, this meant decreasing intake to about 400 to 600 calories three days per week, while men reduced calories to around 500 to 700.—
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An expensive habit with a decreasing ROI.—
Adjective
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This means the country’s appetite for bold exploration, which the compact between science and government supported for decades, may be gone, too—leaving in its place more timid, short-term thinking.—
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So that Indiana politicians could grow timid.—
Noun
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The recoil and the force of her blow knocked me backwards.—
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The rifle weighs up to 120 pounds with massive muzzle brakes, producing more than 200 foot-pounds of recoil.—
Cite this Entry
“Shrinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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