Word

shorten, v.
(shortened, shortening, shortens)
freq. cnt. 9

make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
<verb.change> freq. cnt.: 6 freq. cnt.: 6

shorten

sample sentences

"He shortened his trip due to illness"

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

shortener

antonym

lengthen

semantic pointers

hyponym

foreshorten clip, curtail, cut short syncopate truncate, cut short

cause

shorten

hypernym

reduce, cut, cut down, cut back, trim, trim down, trim back, bring down

reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
<verb.change> freq. cnt.: 5 freq. cnt.: 3 freq. cnt.: 1 freq. cnt.: 1

abbreviate abridge contract cut foreshorten reduce shorten

sample sentences

"The manuscript must be shortened"

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
They won't %s the story

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

shortener

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

abridgement abridger

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

abbreviator

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

contraction

antonym

expand

semantic pointers

hyponym

bowdlerize, bowdlerise, expurgate, castrate, shorten concentrate, condense, digest

verb group

edit out, cut, edit

hypernym

decrease, lessen, minify

edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
<verb.change>

bowdlerise bowdlerize castrate expurgate shorten

sample sentences

"bowdlerize a novel"

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
They won't %s the story

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
They won't %s the story

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
They won't %s the story

verb frames

Somebody ----s something

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
They won't %s the story

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

bowdlerization bowdlerization bowdlerizer

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

bowdlerisation bowdlerisation bowdleriser Bowdler

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

expurgation expurgator

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

castration

semantic pointers

hypernym

shorten, abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, cut, contract, reduce

become short or shorter
<verb.change>

shorten

sample sentences

"In winter, the days shorten"

verb frames

Something ----s

lexical pointers

antonym

lengthen

semantic pointers

hypernym

decrease, diminish, lessen, fall

make short or shorter
<verb.change>

shorten

sample sentences

"shorten the skirt"
"shorten the rope by a few inches"

verb frames

Somebody ----s something
They %s their hair

lexical pointers

derivationally related form

shortening shortener

semantic pointers

hypernym

change, alter, modify

hyponym

cut