contracted 1 of 2

adjective

as in squeezed

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contracted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of contract
1
as in got
to become affected with (a disease or disorder) before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio

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2
as in compressed
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter metal contracts at low temperatures

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3
as in condensed
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together contract the calf muscles in your legs

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4
as in agreed
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action the farmer contracted for delivery of the hay by the first of July

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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 contracted
Verb
The 24-hour strike involves employees contracted to work at Charlotte Douglas International Airport through ABM, a facility management company that provides services such as wheelchair assistance and cabin cleaning. — Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026 The work attracted the attention of Q Studios’ Nick Newhard, who contracted Gray to work on level design for the late ’90s cult classic Blood. — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026 Those arrangements were contracted through the US government until mid-May 2027. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 Its subsidiary, Avologi, manufactures many of the red-light therapy devices that customers reported being pressured to buy inside stores contracted with Mazal Group. — Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026 In 1943, Guggenheim contracted Wright to begin plans for a new building to showcase his growing fine art collection. — Wendy S. Walters, Architectural Digest, 12 Oct. 2026 Google is buying 115 megawatts of geothermal power in Nevada, and Meta has contracted for 150 megawatts from a geothermal plant in New Mexico. — Moones Alamooti, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026 Customs and Border Protection has previously contracted with Oritain for origin-testing services and with Exiger, a supply chain AI and risk management company whose technology detects illicit transshipment. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026 Room for Disagreement Attempts to damage Nigerian oil pipelines fell by 87% between 2022 and last year, a private company contracted to guard the Trans Niger Pipeline in the southern Niger Delta region said in November. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contracted
  1. compressed
  2. got
  3. shrank
  4. squeezed
  5. agreed
  6. condensed
  7. caught
  8. decreased
Adjective
  • Tesla says the thrusters are powered by compressed air, meaning the car can replenish its thrust capacity on-the-go.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The floor is made from compressed leather scraps produced during the brand’s manufacturing process.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of compressed
Verb
  • After all, many a good cause got its start from a spirit of noblesse oblige.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • As transistors got smaller, the channels between them became proportionally narrower, and aluminum’s performance hit a wall.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of got
Verb
  • But once the dominant slices of the emissions pie have shrunk, other categories with less potential to reduce emissions become important.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • As transistors shrank and chips grew denser, the process called for greater precision.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of shrank
Verb
  • In Malabo, Bioko’s biggest city, a team of men and women equipped with insecticide sprayers squeezed between low-rise cement buildings on a recent morning, as heavy rain drummed on aluminum roofs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Elevated borrowing rates and refinancing challenges (registration required) have squeezed an already difficult landscape for development financing.
    — Jill Jones, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • Target agreed to a $5 million settlement and a ban on using geofencing technology to increase prices.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to consider whether Congress had the constitutional authority to impose a ban on distilling spirits in private homes more than 150 years ago.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of agreed
Adjective
  • The play is essentially a condensed version of Jaku’s memoir, but there’s one big difference.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The blitz with Jones was an example of Joseph taking advantage of a defensive back’s versatility and athleticism to set the edge in the more condensed real estate of the red zone.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of condensed
Verb
  • The initial patient — a Kenyan citizen — caught the deadly virus while living in Congo and died earlier this month.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Cooks played nearly every snap after Samuel departed and caught a touchdown on a target inside the 10-yard line.
    — Dalton Del Don, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of caught
Verb
  • Now the prevalence of malaria is around 7%, and deaths of children under five decreased by 78%.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The definitive study of feedback, Avraham Kluger and Angelo DeNisi’s meta-analysis of 23,663 observations, found that over a third of feedback interventions decreased performance.
    — Zaharia-Gabriel Sidere, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of decreased

Browse Nearby Words

contract
contracted
contracted (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Contracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contracted. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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