shorten

I

(Roget's IV) v.

Syn. curtail, abridge, abbreviate, condense, compress, shrink, reduce, decrease, cut short, cut, pare down; see also decrease 2 .

Syn.- shorten implies reduction in length, extent, or duration [ to shorten a rope, a visit, one's life, etc. ] ; curtail implies a making shorter than was originally intended, as because of necessity or expediency [ expenditures curtailed because of a reduced income ] ; abridge implies reduction in compass by condensing, omitting parts, etc. but usually connotes that what is essential is kept [ to abridge a dictionary ] ; abbreviate usually refers to the shortening of a word or phrase by contraction or by substitution of a symbol, but also has extended, sometimes jocular applications [ an abbreviated account of events, an abbreviated costume ]

II

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) v.

reduce, lessen, cut, abbreviate, condense, diminish, clip, trim, slash, *boil down, edit, contract, shrink, prune.

ANT.: lengthen, stretch, prolong

III

(Roget's Thesaurus II) verb To make short or shorter the duration or extent of: abbreviate, abridge, condense, curtail, reduce. See INCREASE, LONG.