Synonyms for

Contracted

Verb / ˈkɑ:ntræktʌd / Another word for contracted — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

Contracted means to make something smaller or shorter by drawing or squeezing it together.

Synonyms & similar words

abbreviate compact shrink reduce get take stretch cut sign condense narrow expanded press signon expand foreshorten contract signup compress constrict squeeze undertake concentrate widen shorten shrank reduced compressed condensed shortened squeezed tightened narrowed curtailed diminished abridged limited restricted concentrated consolidated abbreviated contractual canceled terminated

Synonyms by register

Formal

shortened reduced diminished lessened

Informal

shrunk got smaller tightened up

Literary

abbreviated curtailed withered

Antonyms

expanded enlarged increased lengthened stretched widened grown

Common collocations

  • contracted muscles
  • contracted form
  • contracted disease
  • contracted debt
  • contracted marriage
  • contracted the habit

Word family

noun contraction
verb contract
adjective contracted

Usage note

Can refer to physical shrinking, becoming smaller, or acquiring a disease or habit. Be mindful of context to avoid ambiguity.

Example sentences

  1. The balloon contracted when I let the air out.
  2. I contracted a cold from my friend.
  3. The company contracted with a new supplier.
  4. She contracted her lips in a frown.
  5. The disease can be contracted through contact with infected people.

Quotes

  • The heart, like the stomach, wants a varied diet. - Gustave Flaubert
  • I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught. - Winston Churchill
  • The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. - William James

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