shrink
To cause to become smaller.
Example
“The dryer shrank my sweater.”
Other meanings
To become smaller; to contract.
“This garment will shrink when wet.”
To cower or flinch.
“Molly shrank away from the blows of the whip.”
Synonyms
- contract
Related words
- overshrink
- preshrink
- reshrink
- shrinkability
- shrinkee
- shrinkflate
- shrinkflation
- shrinkproof
- shrinkwrap
- unshrink
- head-shrinker
- shrink down
Word history
From Old English "sċrincan".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “shrink” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.