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contract

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verb

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as in to bargain
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action the farmer contracted for delivery of the hay by the first of July

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word contract different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of contract are compress, condense, constrict, deflate, and shrink. While all these words mean "to decrease in bulk or volume," contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length.

caused her muscles to contract

Where would compress be a reasonable alternative to contract?

In some situations, the words compress and contract are roughly equivalent. However, compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance.

compressed cotton into bales

When would condense be a good substitute for contract?

Although the words condense and contract have much in common, condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content.

condense the essay into a paragraph

When is it sensible to use constrict instead of contract?

The words constrict and contract are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter.

the throat is constricted by a tight collar

In what contexts can deflate take the place of contract?

While in some cases nearly identical to contract, deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas.

deflate the balloon

When might shrink be a better fit than contract?

The synonyms shrink and contract are sometimes interchangeable, but shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions.

the sweater will shrink when washed

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contract
Noun
Share of pending home sales that fell out of contract Monthly; January 2017 to January 2025 A line chart showing the share of pending home sales that fell through from January 2017 to January 2025 in the Detroit metro area. Joe Guillen, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025 The best-case scenario over the next 12 months: Real GDP contracts by 0.2 percentage points, employment shrinks by 0.1% and inflation ticks up by 0.2 percentage points. Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
More than half of all women will contract this kind of UTI in their lifetime, and almost a third will battle recurring episodes. New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2025 Patient dies after contracting rabies from kidney transplant Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for contract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contract
Noun
  • Financial details of the Amalie deal were not disclosed.
    Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Sony Pictures Television, where both Ning and Moore are under overall deals, will produce.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • However, the parties involved failed to come to any agreement before that deal expired at the end of the year.
    Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Numerous college athletes have already signed agreements with schools outlining their terms of payment for the 2025-26 academic year.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • There are many people who are not getting social service programs, especially people with disabilities.
    Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Now the gap has shrunk to 5.3% behind 2024 and 35% behind 2019.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
  • If the company stumbles—or worse, goes bust—your deferred cash could shrink or vanish.
    Anatoly Iofe, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The song is deliberately compressed to sound like a Phil Spector track, and a video John made for the Gilbert O’Sullivan Show in 1973 features a rare cameo from Bernie mimicking Ray Cooper on bells.
    Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Many of them focus on radically new technologies for heating and compressing plasmas, or fusing unusual combinations of isotopes.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Since then, the index has been retreating amid growing signs of economic weakness in the U.S. and as Trump’s trade policies proved more aggressive than Wall Street bargained for.
    Jesse Pound, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Postal workers first earned the right to collectively bargain in 1970, Capone said, and since the early 80s the postal service has managed to exist without the benefit of additional federal dollars or support.
    Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Past performance is no guarantee of future performance.
    Vincent Gregoire, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The model is not a guarantee of visibility, but a projection of where the aurora could be seen if the solar storm conditions align with clear skies on the ground.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As part of the pact, Korine will also serve on the jury at Runway’s AI Film Festival that will take place at New York’s Alice Tully Hall and L.A.’s The Broad Stage Theater this June.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
  • That came after the British government’s rejection, on April 1, of an attempt by Europe to make London’s participation in a defense pact conditional on its readiness to allow EU fishing boats into British waters.
    Colette Davidson, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Contract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contract. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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