shrink-wrap

verb

ˈshriŋk-ˌrap How to pronounce shrink-wrap (audio)
especially Southern ˈsriŋk-
shrink-wrapped; shrink-wrapping; shrink-wraps

transitive verb

: to wrap (something, such as a book or a piece of meat) in tough clear plastic film that is then shrunk (as by heating) to form a tightly fitting package
shrink-wrap noun

Examples of shrink-wrap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The tins next move down a conveyor belt system, where the liquid cools and hardens before the tins are capped and shrink-wrapped. Gabriella Fine, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2026 His restraint suits a story in which machine-kind and humankind begin to feel shrink-wrapped together, the ghosts belabored by increasing social pressure, the humans jolted by high-voltage wires. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026 All of it comes shrink-wrapped in its own sections, in little bamboo and/or cardboard boats set into a reusable acacia wood tray. Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 16 Dec. 2025 The narrative shrink-wraps around them, making an insulated setting feel even more claustrophobic. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025 Look like a confident traveler by not shrink-wrapping your bag. Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025 What about those 250 blank ballots, shrink-wrapped in Maine, that ended up in an Amazon box that smelled to high heaven? Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 Immediately after Tengbjerg had urged us to respect everyone’s time, a European man told the captive audience about a revolutionary fat-burning treatment, Vacuslim 48, which involved what looked like shrink-wrap. Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 Seasoned Lamb Shoulder Rack This lamb shoulder has travelled from Australia to be with us, shrink-wrapped with a coating of herbs—thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, celery seed—and sesame seeds. Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrink-wrap was in 1959

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shrink-wrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrink-wrap. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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