1
as in deal
a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation
accused her of breaking their contract by not completing the decorating job on budget
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in agreement
an arrangement about action to be taken
a contract outlining what needed to be done by each person
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to get
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
before vaccines were invented, people lived in fear of contracting polio
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shrink
to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter
metal contracts at low temperatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to compress
to reduce in size or volume by or as if by pressing parts or members together
contract the calf muscles in your legs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to bargain
to come to an arrangement as to a course of action
the farmer contracted for delivery of the hay by the first of July
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 contract
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
And even aid groups whose contracts are still active may not be able to assist in the earthquake relief efforts.
—Melody Schreiber, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025
New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2025
Patient dies after contracting rabies from kidney transplant Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contract
Noun
Now that all the Dolphins’ contracts have been registered, what remained true a week ago remains the case today: The Dolphins didn’t guarantee a single dollar, beyond this season, to any of their new players.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
And even aid groups whose contracts are still active may not be able to assist in the earthquake relief efforts.
—Melody Schreiber, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
More than half of all women will contract this kind of UTI in their lifetime, and almost a third will battle recurring episodes.
—New Atlas, 30 Mar. 2025
Patient dies after contracting rabies from kidney transplant Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contract
Noun
-
So go ahead and get shopping — and remember: these deals only last through tomorrow.—
Anne Taylor,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Last year, before that deal was announced, Mastercard launched a service with Recorded Future that aims to alert banks more quickly when a credit card is likely to have been compromised.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
However, the parties involved failed to come to any agreement before that deal expired at the end of the year.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Another Law Firm Reaches Agreement: Milbank, based in Manhattan, has reached an agreement with the Trump administration over the kind of free legal services its lawyers can provide to head off an executive order that could impair its business.—
Victoria Kim,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This was Spoelstra’s team playing just eight when the game was in the balance and getting the best from all eight, including a season-high19 points from Kyle Anderson and 16 points from Pelle Larsson.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Their last contest was a slugfest – literally – as the Pistons and Minnesota Timberwolves got into a brawl that resulted in multiple ejections.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Now the gap has shrunk to 5.3% behind 2024 and 35% behind 2019.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
-
If the company stumbles—or worse, goes bust—your deferred cash could shrink or vanish.—
Anatoly Iofe,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
For complex tasks, the smartphone can further compress the latent representations and forward them to cloud servers for specialized processing (e.g., full document OCR or advanced medical diagnostics).—
Wei Duan,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
More importantly, compressed monthly changes highlight the general lack of homebuying demand that continues to characterize the current housing market.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Since then, the index has been retreating amid growing signs of economic weakness in the U.S. and as Trump’s trade policies proved more aggressive than Wall Street bargained for.—
Jesse Pound,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Postal workers first earned the right to collectively bargain in 1970, Capone said, and since the early 80s the postal service has managed to exist without the benefit of additional federal dollars or support.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The model is not a guarantee of visibility, but a projection of where the aurora could be seen if the solar storm conditions align with clear skies on the ground.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
-
But there are no guarantees that deals will be struck by the time shipments arrive at U.S. ports.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The nine-theater commitment builds upon a previous 2023 pact that called for eight Imax systems, effectively tripling the partners’ footprint since early last year.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The 11th edition, or pact as the brand calls it, was finished in añejo tequila barrels to give it an earthy, agave-forward twist to the palate—a first for this whiskey-collector favorite.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contract. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share