COMPRESSES Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

compresses

verb

present tense third-person singular of compress

as in condenses

to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together a science textbook that compresses a lot of information about human reproduction into a few short chapters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shrinks

to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter the substance can compress under pressure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of compresses High-rises are expected to settle as their enormous weight compresses the ground beneath them, but that settlement is expected to stop soon after construction. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026 Deal teams that prepare before a potential transaction (something my company has created a checklist for) can gain an advantage as technology compresses timelines. — Rusty Wiley, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Much like an engine compresses fuel before ignition, FLARE first assembles the fuel to high density before delivering a separate, rapid burst of energy to trigger fusion. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026 Christmas tree pins have a tiered configuration that compresses rather than pierces the ground (a win for modern synthetic or Mondo tracks). — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026 This particular Amazon find, which compresses down for packing, has garnered thousands of five-star ratings and is currently marked as Amazon’s Choice. — Olivia Bria, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2026 Framed as an ensemble drama rather than the story of a single heroic whistleblower, the production compresses Ibsen’s plot, reimagines the ending and leans into satire without sacrificing moral bite. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 That intuition usually takes years to build, but a new controller from MIT engineers compresses that learning curve to a single session. — New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026 The spines only penetrate the ice as the suspension compresses, generating grip and protecting them from high-impact forces. — Tim Hornyak, IEEE Spectrum, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for compresses

Verb

Paraphrasing generally restates the original information in different language while retaining the key ideas, whereas summarizing condenses the information into a shorter version.

— Ethan Stone, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
Headway condenses nonfiction and fiction books into 15-minute summaries that make key ideas easier to fit into your schedule.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of condenses

Verb

Lake Mead and Lake Powell are the visible faces of the Southwest’s critical water problem, as the Colorado River — which supplies water to nearly 40 million people — shrinks due to a combination of climate change and human demand.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
That offset shrinks to only 38mm when installing a 280mm radiator kit.

— Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of shrinks

Verb

But the strain extends across the Global South, where developing nations struggle with a prolonged energy crisis that disproportionately squeezes the planet’s most deprived.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Meta squeezes two independent light-guiding cores into a single standard glass strand to double its bandwidth.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of squeezes

Verb

People with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy or circulation problems need to be especially cautious about anything that constricts the feet or creates friction.

— Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Cold water triggers an immediate stress response that spikes heart rate, speeds breathing and constricts blood vessels.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of constricts

Browse Nearby Words

compressed

compresses

compressible

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Compresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compresses. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of compresses

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes