Abridge
Abridge verb - To make less in extent or duration.
Usage example: the library's hours have been drastically abridged to cut costs
Shorten is a synonym for abridge in cut topic. In some cases you can use "Shorten" instead a verb "Abridge", when it comes to topics like reduction, increase, decrease, abbreviate. popular alternative
Shorten
Shorten verb - To make less in extent or duration.
Usage example: if Grandma has to go shopping today, you'll need to shorten your visit
Abridge is a synonym for shorten in cut topic. You can use "Abridge" instead a verb "Shorten", if it concerns topics such as decrease, reduction, increase, diminish. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- Les Misérables is called (affectionately?) by its readers "the Brick", resulting in multiple attempts to shorten it—however, this is not an easy text to abridge.
Source: Dropped Abridged On It - Non-Indicative Name: Many of them aren't any shorter than the original.note The non-netspeak meaning of "abridge" is "shorten".
Source: Abridged Series Tropes
Cite this Source
Shorten and Abridge. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/abridge/shorten
Abridge & Shorten. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/abridge/shorten>.
Shorten or Abridge. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/abridge/shorten.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "abridge" and "shorten" have occurred on timeline