as in compression
the act or process of reducing the size or volume of something by or as if by pressing
most substances undergo contraction when cooled
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contraction
The latter figure is less than last year’s increase, which, despite market contraction, rose by 2%.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Unlike Legend's birth four years ago, Bennett had no epidural to ease the process worsening her contractions.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
These electrolytes are crucial for everything from heart function to muscle contractions.
—Bryn Beeder, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2025
One of them is pupil dilation and contraction, which work in in synchrony with the norepinephrine levels.
—Ars Technica, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for contraction 
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Unlike Legend's birth four years ago, Bennett had no epidural to ease the process worsening her contractions.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
These electrolytes are crucial for everything from heart function to muscle contractions.
—Bryn Beeder, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2025
One of them is pupil dilation and contraction, which work in in synchrony with the norepinephrine levels.
—Ars Technica, 20 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for contraction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contraction
Noun
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Another mid-stage clinical trial of about 200 patients with a type of nerve compression that causes sciatica also found suzetrigine significantly reduced pain.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Unfortunately, clothes can take up a lot of unnecessary room: This is where compression packing cubes come in handy.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Frost aside, condensation is one of the main threats to storing your vehicle outside and despite being in a heated garage with the roof off and the windows folded down, the VX220 often succumbed to a moldy, and sometimes wet, interior.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
-
Also found: rust, beaded condensation and peeling caulk.—
Mike Snider,
USA TODAY,
12 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The two shared a celebratory squeeze amid the post-game excitement before Taylor pulled her beau in for a smooch.—
Barbara A. Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
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President Trump's decision to start withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization puts global health programs in a serious financial squeeze just as disease threats are multiplying.—
Maya Goldman,
Axios,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Asthma is a serious medical condition that causes inflammation and constriction of the airways.—
Lana Barhum,
Verywell Health,
10 Jan. 2025
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In an account of the contribution that Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude makes to world literature, Jameson contends that its form allows a new picture of utopia, one that survives the constriction of history: The solitude of the title . . .—
Mark Greif,
Harper's Magazine,
26 July 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Contraction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contraction. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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