CONTRACTS Synonyms: 150 Similar and Opposite Words

contracts 1 of 2

noun

plural of contract

as in guarantees

a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation accused her of breaking their contract by not completing the decorating job on budget

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as in agreements

an arrangement about action to be taken a contract outlining what needed to be done by each person

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contracts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of contract

as in gets

to become affected with (a disease or disorder) before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio

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as in shrinks

to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter metal contracts at low temperatures

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as in compresses

to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together contract the calf muscles in your legs

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as in covenants

to come to an arrangement as to a course of action the farmer contracted for delivery of the hay by the first of July

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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 contracts

Noun

This latest project converts earlier plans into firm contracts. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 Jackson launched his bid as a relative unknown, though Capitol insiders knew him because of Jackson Healthcare, its lucrative state contracts and his lobbying interest in healthcare, business and tax policy. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Some of the weapons from American manufacturers purchased during the Biden administration are still flowing to Ukraine, but many of those contracts have been fulfilled. — Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 In April this year, a European consortium led by Belgian telecommunications company Proximus won one of four contracts together worth up to €180 million under the Commission’s sovereign cloud procurement programme. — Margot Edelman, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 SpaceX has been declining to sign new Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch contracts for all kinds of customers. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026 The Persian Gulf state has declared force majeure — citing unexpected, uncontrollable events preventing contracts from being honored — every month since the March attack. — Spencer Kimball,deena Zaidi, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Researchers from competing companies shared their findings in common channels, with no contracts governing the arrangement. — Harry Booth, Time, 23 Oct. 2026 Again, two-way contracts can be swapped out at any time, with such salaries not counting against the salary cap. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Verb

Amazon does not directly employ workers anywhere in the country and instead contracts its labor force through other firms. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 At birth, ordinary life contracts around a mother and newborn before opening outward again. — Shushan Karapetian, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026 The security stance isn't surprising given that SpaceX also contracts with the US government and military. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026 That’s about $1,000 cheaper than its current lineup, and also the company’s first-ever foldable device that contracts to roughly half its size. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 Meet the man saving Nashville’s sick foxes Florida contracts professional python hunters. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 Homer Glen contracts with the Will County sheriff for its police services. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026 While the city contracts its permitting services to FilmLA, Kang is currently the only local official tasked with coordinating between FilmLA, the city, and the dozens of other regional jurisdictions in the area. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 Amazon contracts 21 Air as a third-party crew, maintenance and insurance provider. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contracts

Noun

The guarantees apply only to specific properties, inputs, and assumptions described in each proof.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026
Moscow has also noted the prospect of French or British nuclear guarantees extending to European states and nonnuclear European capitals considering the development of nuclear options of their own.

— Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of guarantees

Noun

Its treaties and agreements focus on preserving the peaceful, safe, and sustainable use of outer space, preventing collisions, managing space debris, and ensuring responsible operations.

— David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Penalties, consent agreements and decrees have not deterred Meta from using deceptive trade practices.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of agreements

Verb

The Archimedes screw gets a molecular makeover The researchers took inspiration from the Archimedes’ screw, an ancient device with a helical blade inside a cylinder that lifts water (or solids) when rotated.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
The driver gets a 24-inch OLED screen, and there’s a smaller 7-inch infotainment screen in the centre.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of gets

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

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

Definition of compresses

Verb

The union usually bargains in the same year as performers’ union SAG-AFTRA and directors’ union the Directors Guild of America.

— Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026
One potential—though untested—workaround would be for conferences, which are private entities, to serve as a joint employer that bargains with a players’ union.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Mar. 2026

Definition of bargains

Noun

The best deals go to a few firms, with others given a sliver at frothy valuations or locked out until an IPO.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
But as gas demand from data centers and LNG export terminals on the Gulf Coast has surged, new pipeline deals are being announced every few weeks.

— Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of deals

Noun

The United States’ network of defense pacts is poised to get stronger as its allies get stronger, but only if rebalancing occurs with consent, foresight, and respectful treatment of partners.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Under the co-exclusive pacts, all five seasons of Orphan Black are now available to stream on HBO Max and Peacock.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026