1. Reduced in size or pulled together
   "the contracted pupils of her eyes"

1. Become smaller or draw together
   "The fabric contracted";
   - shrink
    
2. Make smaller
   "The heat contracted the woollen garment"
    
3. Compress or concentrate
   "Congress contracted the three-year plan into a six-month plan";
   - condense, concentrate
    
4. Make or become more narrow or restricted
   "The tunnel contracted as we went deeper";
   - narrow, neck
    
5. Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
   "They contracted the research paper to fit the page limit";
   - abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, reduce
    
6. Be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness
   "She contracted a chill";
   - take, get
    
7. Bring together or compress
   "the spasm contracted the muscle";
   - compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, press
    
8. Enter into a contractual arrangement
   "The company contracted to provide cleaning services for the office building";
   - undertake
    
9. Engage by written agreement
   "They contracted two new pitchers for the next season";
   - sign, sign on, sign up

See also: contractile, specialise [Brit]

Type of: alter, assure, change, come down, decrease, dent, diminish, employ, engage, fall, go down, hire, lessen, minify, modify, promise, reduce, shrink, sicken, sink, take on, tighten

Antonym: expanded, stretch, widen

Encyclopedia: Contracted