Meaning & use
contracting
Becoming smaller, tighter, or shorter, especially through shrinking or drawing inward.
See it in a sentence
The contracting economy forced several small businesses to shut their doors.
Doctors monitored the mother's contracting muscles closely as her labor steadily progressed.
A note on using this word
Contracting also works as a noun for the business of building or supplying services under contract, as in the contracting industry.
Words with a similar meaning
shrinkingnarrowing
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
expanding
Another way to use it
2. noun
The business of undertaking construction or other work under a formal contract.
After years as an employee, he started his own contracting business building custom homes.
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