shorten
Americanverb (used with object)
-
shortens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shortened,
past participle, past
-
shortening
present participle
verb
-
to make or become short or shorter
-
(tr) nautical to reduce the area of (sail)
-
(tr) to make (pastry, bread, etc) short, by adding butter or another fat
-
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
-
shortenernoun
-
overshortenverb
-
reshortenverb
-
preshortenverb (used with object)
-
undershortenverb (used with object)
-
unshortenadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shortensimple
-
shortenssimple
-
have shortenedperfect
-
has shortenedperfect
-
am shorteningprogressive
-
are shorteningprogressive
-
is shorteningprogressive
-
have been shorteningperfect progressive
-
has been shorteningperfect progressive
Past
-
shortenedsimple
-
had shortenedperfect
-
was shorteningprogressive
-
were shorteningprogressive
-
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:
Software companies are using AI to improve productivity, shorten development cycles and automate business processes, Eastspring writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
“This shift will also reduce competing rail traffic and shorten potential weather-related delays for other carriers, including Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and freight trains, that operate along the beachfront corridor near San Clemente.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Speedier installations shorten the period during which customers incur data center expenses without generating revenue.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
The disease can also lower crop yields and shorten shelf life, making it a costly challenge for mushroom farms across the United States.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
The line moves pretty quickly, but it also doesn’t seem like it’s gonna shorten anytime soon.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
That window shortens to one hour if air conditioning fails during summer heat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
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
Importantly, the researchers did not directly examine tyrosine supplements or test whether taking supplemental tyrosine shortens lifespan.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 15, 2026
The high number of climbers has rekindled concerns about overcrowding on the mountain -- especially if poor weather shortens the climbing window.
From Barron's ● May 22, 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
President Lee Jae Myung hailed the successful voyage, saying it "shortened the one-way sailing time by 10 days compared with the conventional route via the Suez Canal".
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
Staphylococcus aureus, often shortened to S. aureus, is particularly important in modern medicine because it can cause serious infections.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026
RobCo’s founders chose its name as a shortened version of The Robot Company—not in homage to the fictional megacorporation in the post-apocalyptic videogame series “Fallout,” though Hölzl doesn’t mind if people inadvertently make the connection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
News of his shortened prison stint comes as reports of Combs’ special lifestyle have emerged in a report by NBC News published Tuesday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Her real name, Purity, got shortened to “Pretty” years ago.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Higher temperatures were shortening the lucrative winter season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
One phrase highlighted in her research is "incompetent cervix" used to describe the shortening of the cervix that can increase risks of pregnancy loss and early birth.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Chronic stress linked to everyday life may leave a lasting physical mark on the heart, potentially damaging cardiovascular health and shortening lifespan.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
Novo Nordisk, the Danish drug giant behind Ozempic, is streamlining its corporate culture and shortening its name as it tries to better compete in the market for weight-loss drugs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
They kept shortening up the range to get closer and closer to us.
From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
