Skip to content

shorten

/ˈʃɔɹtn̩/verb2 syllables

Shorten means: reduce in scope while retaining essential elements.

Synonyms for shorten24

verb, as in reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, cut, contract, reduce, edit, edit out

verb, as in edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

bowdlerize, bowdlerise, expurgate, castrate

also used for shorten

chop down, chop off, cut short, compress, condense, curt, curtail, lop off, make shorter, pare, prune, reduce in length

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of shorten

lengthen

What does shorten mean?5

verb

1

reduce in scope while retaining essential elements“The manuscript must be shortened”

2

edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate“bowdlerize a novel”

3

make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration“He shortened his trip due to illness”

4

make short or shorter“shorten the skirt”

5

become short or shorter“In winter, the days shorten”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Shorten in a sentence

  • Do not shorten the morning by getting up late.unknown
  • The publisher told me to shorten the book.AlanF_US
  • I don't like to sew, but I shall have to shorten these trousers.unknown
  • My father asked me if I can shorten his pants.beatrixvasc
  • Because of my short legs, I have to shorten all the trousers I buy.sundown
  • High operating temperatures shorten lubricant life.unknown
  • How can you shorten this cable?Amastan
  • This way we can shorten the distance.davearms

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of shorten

as a verb

past tense
shortened
present participle
shortening
third-person singular
shortens
past participle
shortened