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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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
Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Are your balances growing or shrinking?
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
When so much of what’s wrong in the world is the narrowing and shrinking of our moral circles, a movement that effectively challenges that has to do the opposite.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Send us the original, unedited photos from your phone or camera as JPGs—no cropping or shrinking is needed.
—Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
Hot water can be rough on fabrics and reduce the quality of your bedding over time, causing shrinking, fading, and deterioration of the fabric.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Jan. 2026
This trend has been coupled with a gradual shrinking of the welfare state.
—Miranda Sheild Johansson, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Congress should avoid policies that serve only wealthy depositors, to the detriment of the banking industry’s soundness and, not to mention, the shrinking of account-holders’ wallets.
—Tyler Curtis, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
These lobes atrophy, and the shrinking of these areas can cause speech issues, emotional problems and changes in personality.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Maryland’s future should not be defined by higher costs, bigger government and shrinking opportunity.
—Steve Hershey, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026
But this community of musicians on Ocean Avenue sprung up less by design and more as a byproduct of affordable housing shrinking to an ever-smaller pool of neighborhoods, among them Midwood, a middle-class residential area in south-central Brooklyn nestled between Marine Park and Bensonhurst.
—Daniel Yadin, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
Our manatees, panthers, bears and countless other species rely on healthy ecosystems to survive, ecosystems that are shrinking daily due to human encroachment and legislative negligence.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
In the modern world, people like Philip and me, newspaper consumers, are in a shrinking minority.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
California home sellers made more than double what their American peers made last year – but that gap is shrinking.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
That legacy hasn’t disappeared, but it is increasingly strained under the weight of rising needs and shrinking staff capacity.
—Patrick Mahoney, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
But shares in open float have been shrinking.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Re-wash and dry the garment, using these tips to avoid re-shrinking, to prevent a residue from the conditioner from setting.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
During the same period, union membership declined, the Democratic Party abandoned its working-class base, and both parties presided over the shrinking of the middle class.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Are your balances growing or shrinking?
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 10 Feb. 2026
When so much of what’s wrong in the world is the narrowing and shrinking of our moral circles, a movement that effectively challenges that has to do the opposite.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Send us the original, unedited photos from your phone or camera as JPGs—no cropping or shrinking is needed.
—Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026
Hot water can be rough on fabrics and reduce the quality of your bedding over time, causing shrinking, fading, and deterioration of the fabric.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Jan. 2026
This trend has been coupled with a gradual shrinking of the welfare state.
—Miranda Sheild Johansson, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Congress should avoid policies that serve only wealthy depositors, to the detriment of the banking industry’s soundness and, not to mention, the shrinking of account-holders’ wallets.
—Tyler Curtis, Boston Herald, 20 Jan. 2026
These lobes atrophy, and the shrinking of these areas can cause speech issues, emotional problems and changes in personality.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
While some are ideologically motivated, this group is shrinking, intelligence officials say.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Maryland’s future should not be defined by higher costs, bigger government and shrinking opportunity.
—Steve Hershey, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2026
But this community of musicians on Ocean Avenue sprung up less by design and more as a byproduct of affordable housing shrinking to an ever-smaller pool of neighborhoods, among them Midwood, a middle-class residential area in south-central Brooklyn nestled between Marine Park and Bensonhurst.
—Daniel Yadin, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
Our manatees, panthers, bears and countless other species rely on healthy ecosystems to survive, ecosystems that are shrinking daily due to human encroachment and legislative negligence.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
In the modern world, people like Philip and me, newspaper consumers, are in a shrinking minority.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Feb. 2026
California home sellers made more than double what their American peers made last year – but that gap is shrinking.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
That legacy hasn’t disappeared, but it is increasingly strained under the weight of rising needs and shrinking staff capacity.
—Patrick Mahoney, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
But shares in open float have been shrinking.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking
Adjective
-
What happens to the funding for buses and light rail when people are afraid to ride them, and no one buys bus tickets?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Too Much Wall Art Wall art is a great way to make a space feel more complete, but don't be afraid to leave some blank space here and there.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Manscaped’s ‘Hair Ballad’ Several ads trafficked in revulsion as an attention-getter, none more so than this one for a body shaver featuring various clumps of removed body hair singing with their little hairy mouths.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
These critiques were made during a time of growing revulsion against slum clearance and heavy-handed urban-renewal attempts; the reentry of the creative classes to city centers was only beginning to gain notice.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While tech giants pour billions into ever larger training runs, Hooker argues the approach is seeing diminishing returns.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The tech itself is also starting to show diminishing returns with each new model release.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Instead of compressing observations into still images, RIMS preserves time-dependent information and separates radio signals by direction.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Such tests could be used in research toward compressing a core of uranium with explosives — something that is needed for an implosion-style nuclear weapon.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His most intense fans may revel in his displays of dominance, but his least attached supporters—the ones who turned him from a loser in 2020 to a winner in 2024—are recoiling.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has been riding roughshod over Washington and voters are recoiling.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The biggest shift in the financial model of newspapers that has occurred in the transition from print to digital is a decreasing reliance on advertising and an increasing reliance on direct payments from subscribers.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The formulation hits all the targets my tired eyes crave—brightening dark circles, decreasing puffiness, and reducing the look of fine lines.—
Cathy Nelson,
InStyle,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Harry Melling stars as a timid man who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker (Skarsgård) takes him on as his submissive.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The siblings have different personalities, according to their keepers; Xiao Xiao is timid while his sister Lei Lei is fearless and adapts to changes quickly.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
David asks whether the country can find a way back from a dangerous moral and political impasse, as a majority of Americans recoil from these actions while a determined minority continue to defend them.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Fans recoil at the idea of betrayal.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shrinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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