contract applies to a drawing together of surfaces or particles or a reduction of area or length.
caused her muscles to contract
shrink implies a contracting or a loss of material and stresses a falling short of original dimensions.
the sweater will shrink when washed
condense implies a reducing of something homogeneous to greater compactness without significant loss of content.
condense the essay into a paragraph
compress implies a pressing into a small compass and definite shape usually against resistance.
compressed cotton into bales
constrict implies a tightening that reduces diameter.
the throat is constricted by a tight collar
deflate implies a contracting by reducing the internal pressure of contained air or gas.
deflate the balloon
Example Sentences
The information is collected and then passed on to the CEO in condensed form. The cooler temperatures cause the gas to condense into a liquid. Moisture in the air condenses to form tiny drops of water. Condense the milk by cooking it slowly.
Recent Examples on the WebLawmakers hope to condense that to a decade for all sequoia groves, by allowing restoration work to start in one area while environmental review is occurring concurrently at other sites. Deborah Sullivan Brennan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2022 All of the great adaptations condense things, smush things together, cut things out. Geek's Guide To The Galaxy, WIRED, 10 June 2022 Get their feedback, then condense your answers to be more concise but impactful. Robin Ryan, Forbes, 12 July 2022 The greatest uncertainty is the potential behavior of contrails—the tendrils that form behind planes as water molecules condense around exhaust particles and freeze.Wired, 28 July 2022 To have to condense who your character was into a short letter. Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 24 June 2022 The air goes through cool coils that pull out excess moisture and condense it into the reservoir. Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 6 June 2022 In the next few years, there are plans to close four more - two pre-K-through-eighth-grade schools, as well as one elementary and one middle school - to condense them into two new pre-K-through-eighth-grade schools. Andrea Stanley, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Apr. 2022 In the next few years, there are plans to close four more — two pre-K-through-eighth-grade schools, as well as one elementary and one middle school — to condense them into two new pre-K-through-eighth-grade schools.Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Latin condensare, from com- + densare to make dense, from densus dense