- past tense form of shrink.
shrank
Americanverb
verb
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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.
The occupations most exposed to AI’s reach shrank by 0.2% year over year in June, according to research from ADP and Stanford University.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
As continental shelves shrank, more phosphate entered the water.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 16, 2026
A tumbling stock price, however, shrank the value of those holdings by $2.4 billion last year, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Medics were unable to completely remove her tumours but one shrank with radiotherapy.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
He took a step toward her and she shrank back, no longer certain of his harmlessness—if he couldn’t talk, he might have to act.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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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.