1. Shorten
   "Abbreviate ‘New York’ and write ‘NY’"
    
2. Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
   "The manuscript must be abbreviated";
   - abridge, foreshorten, shorten, cut, contract, reduce

Derived forms: abbreviated, abbreviates, abbreviating

Type of: decrease, lessen, minify, reduce

Antonym: exposit

Encyclopedia: Abbreviate