shorten

shorten, curtail, abbreviate, abridge, retrench can all mean to reduce in extent, especially by cutting.

Shorten commonly implies reduction in length or duration

{

shorten a road by eliminating curves

}

{

to shorten a visit

}

It is also often used of apparent rather than actual length

{

they shortened the journey by telling stories

}

{

if we really have a murderer in our midst, your easiest method of shortening your own young life would be to let him know how clever you are— Mary Fitt

}

{

the vaccines will not even shorten the course of a cold— Fishbein

}

Curtail adds to shorten the implication of making cuts that impair completeness or cause deprivation

{

the interruption curtailed his speech

}

{

the outdoor ceremony was curtailed because of the storm

}

{

curtailed rights

}

{

emergency order drastically curtailing the use of fuel— Current Biog.

}

Abbreviate implies reducing by omitting some normally present or following part; thus one abbreviates a word by cutting out or cutting off letters; one abbreviates a discussion by bringing it to a close sooner than planned or anticipated

{

their outing was abbreviated by a sudden drenching downpour

}

{

a stocky square-jawed man of great physical strength and energy, though of abbreviated intelligence— Shirer

}

Abridge expresses reduction in compass or scope rather more than in length

{

I feel you do not fully comprehend the danger of abridging the liberties of the people — Lincoln

}

but it may imply the retention of all that is essential and the relative completeness of the result

{

abridge a dictionary

}

Retrench stresses reduction in extent or costs of something felt to be in excess

{

retrench expenses

}

{

the lords are retrenching visibly, and are especially careful to avoid any form of ostentation — Nancy Mitford

}

Analogous words: reduce, *decrease, lessen, diminish: *contract, shrink, condense

Antonyms: lengthen, elongate: extend