shorten
Americanverb (used with object)
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shortens,
present (3rd person singular)
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shortened,
past participle, past
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shortening
present participle
verb
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to make or become short or shorter
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(tr) nautical to reduce the area of (sail)
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(tr) to make (pastry, bread, etc) short, by adding butter or another fat
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gambling to cause (the odds) to lessen or (of odds) to become less
Synonym Usage
Shorten, abbreviate, abridge, curtail mean to make shorter or briefer. Shorten is a general word meaning to make less in extent or duration: to shorten a dress, a prisoner's sentence. The other three terms suggest methods of shortening. To abbreviate is to make shorter by omission or contraction: to abbreviate a word. To abridge is to reduce in length or size by condensing, summarizing, and the like: to abridge a document. Curtail suggests deprivation and lack of completeness because of omitting some part: to curtail an explanation.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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shortenernoun
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overshortenverb
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reshortenverb
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preshortenverb (used with object)
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undershortenverb (used with object)
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unshortenadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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shortensimple
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shortenssimple
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have shortenedperfect
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has shortenedperfect
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am shorteningprogressive
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are shorteningprogressive
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is shorteningprogressive
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have been shorteningperfect progressive
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has been shorteningperfect progressive
Past
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shortenedsimple
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had shortenedperfect
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was shorteningprogressive
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were shorteningprogressive
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had been shorteningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shorten
Vocabulary lists containing shorten
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
For Albano, Trent Park is "on a par in terms of the military intelligence that was gained and... was used by the British government to shorten the length of the Second World War".
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Their findings suggest that combining microwave frying with conventional frying could shorten cooking time, limit oil uptake, and still create the crisp exterior and satisfying texture associated with traditional fries.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
“It was good to see him shorten up and get a knock,” manager Dave Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
A secure retirement portfolio acts like a health shield, calming market anxiety that can actually shorten life expectancy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
In their home ecosystems these species have, like all living things, a full complement of parasites, microbes, viruses, and insect predators to shorten and immiserate their lives.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The problem, Shurety points out, is that longer fire seasons and more rain during cooler months shortens the window that such burns can be carried out.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
This not only creates more room for components but also shortens wiring distances, reducing parasitic capacitance and significantly increasing communication bandwidth between different parts of a chip.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026
This setup reduces Nebius’ dependence on building new grid transmissions and shortens the timeline to power its facilities, the company said.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
The Kharg Island mission might make sense if it strikes a decisive blow that shortens the war and secures America’s strategic interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026
“The king shortens no man’s shadow, though he may try,” Estraven remarked, and the cook looked satisfied.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Economists say carmakers have either shortened or skirted the usual temporary summer layoffs to retool their plants because of robust sales.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Whether in its original eight-mile guise, or the shortened 4.3-mile version used since 1983, it has a combination of flowing, high and medium-speed corners matched by very few circuits in the world.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
This interview has been shortened and edited for clarity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
These are naturally less sensitive to tiny defects on the crystal's surface, which had shortened magnon lifetimes in previous experiments.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026
The wolf’s snout shortened as they watched, shrinking back into his face, while the black fur all over his body receded, disappearing entirely in places.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Analysts at investment banks connected to listing companies can now publish research alongside company prospectuses, shortening the IPO process by seven days, the Financial Conduct Authority said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Later studies by Wagner's group and other scientists showed that this shortening occurs across many types of cancer and may help tumors adapt, survive, and escape treatment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Tour de France organisers announced that they were shortening the following day's final stage of the cycling race due to the wildfires ravaging southwest France.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Among wealthy university students in the 1880s and 1890s, there was a habit of shortening words and adding "-er" to the end, creating a kind of slang.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Hence the elimination of Saturday classes, the shortening of the school day, and the lengthening of vacation—all of which occurred over the course of the nineteenth century.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
