Contract (Verb)

Meaning ¹

Engage by written agreement; "They signed two new pitchers for the next season".

Classification

Verbs of political and social activities and events.

Synonyms

• Sign On
• Sign
• Sign Up

Hypernyms

• Hire
• Employ

Hyponyms

• Contract Out

Related Words

• Contract (noun)

Meaning ²

Squeeze or press together; "she compressed her lips"; "the spasm contracted the muscle".

Classification

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.

Synonyms

• Squeeze
• Constrict
• Compress
• Press
• Compact

Hypernyms

• Tighten

Hyponyms

• Choke
• Scrag
• Strangulate
• Fret
• Prim
• Astringe
• Convulse
• Strangle
• Bear Down
• Overbear
• Gag

Related Words

• Contractor (noun)
• Contraction (noun)
• Contracture (noun)

Meaning ³

Compress or concentrate; "Congress condensed the three-year plan into a six-month plan".

Classification

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..

Synonyms

• Concentrate
• Condense

Hypernyms

• Change
• Alter

Related Words

• Contraction (noun)

Meaning ⁴

Enter into a contractual arrangement.

Classification

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.

Examples

• The company will contract with a new supplier to provide raw materials for their products.
• They decided to contract with a local builder to oversee the renovation of their home.
• The city council agreed to contract with a private firm to manage the city's public transportation system.
• She chose to contract with an independent contractor to design her new website.
• The band decided to contract with a recording label to produce and distribute their music.

Synonyms

• Undertake

Hypernyms

• Assure

Hyponyms

• Charter
• Lease
• Hire
• Qualify
• Condition
• Specify

Related Words

• Contractor (noun)
• Contract (noun)

Meaning ⁵

Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements; "The manuscript must be shortened".

Classification

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..

Examples

• The editor's task is to contract the manuscript without losing its essential message.
• To make the report more concise, the writer will contract it by eliminating unnecessary details.
• The article needs to be contracted by at least 500 words to fit the magazine's space requirements.
• The novelist must contract the story, focusing only on the main characters and plot.
• The company had to contract its operations to stay within its reduced budget.

Synonyms

• Abridge
• Cut
• Reduce
• Shorten
• Abbreviate
• Foreshorten

Antonyms

• Expand

Hypernyms

• Decrease
• Lessen
• Minify

Hyponyms

• Bowdlerize
• Shorten
• Concentrate
• Bowdlerise
• Condense
• Expurgate
• Castrate
• Digest

Related Words

• Contraction (noun)

Meaning ⁶

Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness; "He got AIDS"; "She came down with pneumonia"; "She took a chill".

Classification

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.

Synonyms

• Take
• Get

Hypernyms

• Come Down

Related Words

• Contracting (noun)

Meaning ⁷

Make smaller; "The heat contracted the woollen garment".

Classification

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.

Hypernyms

• Reduce

Hyponyms

• Wrinkle

Related Words

• Contraction (noun)

Meaning ⁸

Make or become more narrow or restricted; "The selection was narrowed"; "The road narrowed".

Classification

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..

Synonyms

• Narrow

Hypernyms

• Change

Hyponyms

• Bottleneck
• Taper Off

Related Words

• Contraction (noun)

Meaning ⁹

Become smaller or draw together; "The fabric shrank"; "The balloon shrank".

Classification

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..

Synonyms

• Shrink

Antonyms

• Expand

Hypernyms

• Decrease
• Fall
• Lessen

Hyponyms

• Flex

Related Words

• Contraction (noun)