narrows (down)

verb

present tense third-person singular of narrow (down)
as in compresses
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together plans to narrow down the scope of the investigation into the government scandal

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrows (down)
  1. compresses
  2. condenses
  3. squeezes
Verb
  • Queues in the major markets run for years, new transmission runs longer, and no amount of capital compresses a utility approval process that was designed for a different century.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Framed as an ensemble drama rather than the story of a single heroic whistleblower, the production compresses Ibsen’s plot, reimagines the ending and leans into satire without sacrificing moral bite.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of compresses
Verb
  • The film’s final scene condenses a great deal of meaning into a single moment.
    — JD Linville, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • As the plume rises, the water vapor cools and condenses into tiny cloud droplets, forming a cloud directly above the fire.
    — Yunyao Li, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of condenses
Verb
  • That obviously makes Labor Day a particularly good excuse to mix a cocktail that squeezes a little more out of summer.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • After leaving Vancouver, the route follows the Fraser River through the fertile Fraser Valley and into the Coast Mountains, passing Hell’s Gate, where the river squeezes through a narrow canyon, before arriving in Kamloops for the night.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeezes
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.

Browse Nearby Words

narrows
narrows (down)
nasal
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Cite this Entry

“Narrows (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrows%20%28down%29. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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