English > abbreviate: 2 senses > verb 1, change| Meaning | Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements. |
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| Pattern | Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something |
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| Synonyms | abridge, foreshorten, shorten, cut, contract, reduce |
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| Narrower | bowdlerize, bowdlerise, expurgate, castrate, shorten | edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate |
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| digest, condense, concentrate | make more concise |
| Broader | decrease, lessen, minify | make smaller |
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| Opposite | elaborate, lucubrate, expatiate, exposit, enlarge, flesh out, expand, expound, dilate | add details, as to an account or idea |
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| Similar to | edit, cut, edit out | cut and assemble the components of |
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| Catalan | contreure, encongir |
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| Spanish | contraer, encoger, reducir |
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| Nouns | abbreviator | one who shortens or abridges or condenses a written work |
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