1. Make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
   "He shortened his trip due to illness"
    
2. Make short or shorter
   "shorten the skirt"; "shorten the rope by a few inches"
    
3. Become short or shorter
   "In winter, the days shorten"
    
4. Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
   "The manuscript must be shortened";
   - abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, cut, contract, reduce
    
5. Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
   "shorten a novel";
   - bowdlerize, bowdlerise [Brit], expurgate, castrate

Derived forms: shortened, shortens, shortening

Type of: alter, bring down, change, come down, cut, cut back, cut down, decrease, dent, diminish, fall, go down, lessen, minify, modify, reduce, sink, trim, trim back, trim down

Antonym: lengthen

Encyclopedia: Shorten, George