constrict
Americanverb (used with object)
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constricts,
present (3rd person singular)
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constricted,
past participle, past
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constricting
present participle
verb
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to make smaller or narrower, esp by contracting at one place
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to hold in or inhibit; limit
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonconstrictedadjective
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nonconstrictingadjective
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unconstrictedadjective
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well-constrictedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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constrictsimple
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constrictssimple
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have constrictedperfect
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has constrictedperfect
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am constrictingprogressive
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are constrictingprogressive
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is constrictingprogressive
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have been constrictingperfect progressive
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has been constrictingperfect progressive
Past
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constrictedsimple
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had constrictedperfect
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was constrictingprogressive
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were constrictingprogressive
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had been constrictingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of constrict
1375–1425 for earlier past participle sense; 1725–35 for current senses; late Middle English < Latin constrīctus (past participle of constringere to draw together, tie up), equivalent to con- con- + strīc- (variant stem of stringere to tie; see strict) + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
To constrict is to squeeze uncomfortably. If your new turtleneck sweater constricts your neck, the sweater is probably too small. When things constrict, they become narrow or make something else become narrow. A boa constrictor kills its prey when it constricts the animal's body until it can no longer breathe, and a necktie that's tied too tightly constricts your neck. In medicine, certain conditions or medications can constrict openings such as airways or blood vessels, sometimes dangerously. The Latin root is constringere, "to bind together or tie tightly."
Vocabulary lists containing constrict
Bridge to Terabithia
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"The Leap," Vocabulary from the short story
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Part 1 Vocabulary (Unit 1)
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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:
Also, your heart rate spikes, your blood pressure soars, the blood vessels in your extremities constrict to keep warm blood near your core and you begin to gasp involuntarily.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
But as sanctions and law enforcement actions constrict the flow of these components, supply chain bottlenecks will increase their costs.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
In contrast, exposure to bright light allows the pupil to constrict in response to brightness rather than focusing distance, helping maintain healthier retinal stimulation.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 19, 2026
Tina explains the appeal comes from the fact that the "cold exposure causes blood vessels to constrict, which can reduce swelling".
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
As I speak, my lungs constrict and I gasp for air.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Such reactions can range from responses with “no clinical manifestations” to irritating rashes to life-threatening conditions such as anaphylactic shock, which constricts breathing and impairs motor function.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026
They expect Akamai’s core content-delivery business, which centers on moving data across the internet, to transition from a double-digit decliner to generally stable as the industry constricts and traffic trends improve.
From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026
These two brief scenes quickly and credibly evoke a complex bond, and a family life that constricts in some ways and comforts in others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
The Channel Islands can also act as a “shield” that constricts sound within the Santa Barbara Channel, enabling noise to rattle around more than it would in deeper, more open ocean waters, according to ZoBell.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2024
So he takes it off and slips it on her finger and it constricts and clamps on and she’s like, Omigod!
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
But Situational was constricted: Anthropic had the right to approve of any transfer of its privately held shares, so the fund could only pitch those with existing stakes in Anthropic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
But the combined weight of the Covid pandemic, China's spiralling property slump and constricted borrowing limits for its citizens have sunk those sky-high ambitions, and all but ground the project to a standstill.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Accenture faces pressure from constricted client IT spending budgets and skepticism over its product-focused acquisition strategy.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Physical capacity across the world is constricted by a variety of chokepoints, some natural like Hormuz, some man-made like tariffs.
From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026
Where the pass was so constricted that rangers had to go single file, Squire Dalbridge would take the lead, scanning the heights as he went, his longbow ever close to hand.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
In commodities, the team favors base industrial metals like aluminum, nickel, lead, and zinc, as artificial-intelligence and military buildouts increase demand while reinvestment rates by miners remain low, constricting supply.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
Like the milieu in which they’re set, prison movies can be terribly constricting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
Historically low mortgage rates followed by inflation fueled price appreciation and resulted in a lock-in effect for owners that is constricting the supply of homes for sale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
The album capped a lengthy, constricting record label contract that Charli had been trying to optimize for years, to varying success.
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026
Then splash—a plunge into water so cold it made me gasp, all my muscles constricting at once.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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.
