compress
verb (used with object)
to press together; force into less space.
had compressed
-
past perfectof compress.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Before Arendt became the great thinker of statelessness, bureaucracy had compressed her into these terms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
A backward baseball cap on his head, he had compressed his 6-foot-1 frame into a corner booth at a TriBeCa restaurant.
From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2014
I leaned on Robin like an older sister in the early years of our acquaintance, when our five-year age difference seemed enormous, but over time, the gap had compressed and we’d become peers.
From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2014
His experience of time's passage had compressed by a factor of two.
From Time ● Mar. 13, 2011
It had compressed, gradually squashing into a smaller space.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
