verb · neutral
shrink
/ʃrɪŋk/SHRINK
Band 6-7task1task2speaking
to become smaller in size or amount; to reduce in scale
Examples
“The sweater shrank after I washed it in hot water.”
“The company's profits shrank by 10% last quarter.”
“He shrank back in fear when he heard the noise.”
Band 8 sentence
“After several years of poor management, the retailer's market share shrank dramatically.”
Collocations
- shrink in size
- profits/shares shrink
Word family
shrink base verbshrank past simpleshrunk past participleshrinking present participle / adjective
Common mistakes
The sweater shrink after washing.→The sweater shrank after washing.
Company profits have shrinked this year.→Company profits have shrunk this year.
He shrinked back when he saw the dog.→He shrank back when he saw the dog.
Say it for a higher band
5get smaller→6decrease→7+shrink
Synonyms
decrease
contract
Easily confused
contract
“The fabric contracts slightly when washed.”
Related words
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In Irregular forms
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