Definitions

contraction

[kuhn-trak-shuhn] / kənˈtræk ʃən /

NOUN

drawing in; shortening

Synonyms

STRONGEST

decrease deflation recession reduction shrinkage

STRONG

abbreviation abridgment compression condensation condensing confinement constriction curtailment diminution dwindling elision evaporation lessening narrowing omission receding reducing shrinking tightening withdrawal

WEAK

abbreviating abridging confining curtailing cutting down decreasing deflating diminishing drawing together evaporating lopping omitting shrivelling tensing withdrawing

Antonyms

STRONGEST

enlargement increase

STRONG

expansion opening

WEAK

amplification dilation extension lengthening spread stretch

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 employment index was in contraction territory and down from last month.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

The overall contraction in the smartphone market has been partly the result of an ongoing memory shortage, which has constrained production and driven up the cost of components.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

One minute, she’d been in the bathroom, laboring through a contraction.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

Half of the Gulf countries are expecting a contraction this year, while slowed growth is projected for Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to the International Monetary Fund.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

I realized that I had made a mistake: the no boundary condition implied that disorder would in fact continue to increase during the contraction.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Vocabulary lists containing contraction

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