as in squeezing
the act or process of reducing the size or volume of something by or as if by pressing
the compression of a long, complicated story into a two-hour movie is never easy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of compression
This is the compression stroke of the engine, and the valves will be closed sealing off the combustion chamber to moisture.
—
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
The friction and compression of the Earth's atmosphere as the Orion fell created a plasma bubble that engulfed the spacecraft, not allowing radio signals in or out for a 6-minute communications blackout during the reentry.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
During reentry, as the spacecraft first encounters air molecules, a violent wave of compression can conjure temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
What is being described is not a diagnosis but an experience, and experience resists compression.
—Celina Yong, STAT, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compression
John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 17 Apr. 2026
The friction and compression of the Earth's atmosphere as the Orion fell created a plasma bubble that engulfed the spacecraft, not allowing radio signals in or out for a 6-minute communications blackout during the reentry.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
During reentry, as the spacecraft first encounters air molecules, a violent wave of compression can conjure temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
What is being described is not a diagnosis but an experience, and experience resists compression.
—Celina Yong, STAT, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for compression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compression
Noun
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Concacaf is not the only confederation squeezing games into FIFA windows around the club calendar.—
Tamerra Griffin,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Hassan’s team instead squeezed a photon’s intensity and demonstrated real-time control, fluctuating between intensity and phase-squeezing by adjusting the silica’s position relative to the beams.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Expansion and contraction is what creates potholes.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
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Beets also contain nitrates, which the body converts to nitric oxide and uses to help increase blood flow throughout the body and improve the efficiency of skeletal muscle contraction, Collen says.—
Desireé Oostland,
Vogue,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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If the moisture appears on the outer side of the foil, the problem is likely condensation.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2026
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But this model, known as equilibrium condensation, has limitations.—
Javier Barbuzano,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Interior Department also instituted a new $100-per-person fee for non-Americans entering 11 of the most popular parks, a move to raise money for the parks but an extra squeeze for Canadians coming across the border and other international visitors.—
Justine McDaniel,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Light can be turned into heat, which can then be turned into motion, and the effect of that motion can be turned into a big squeeze.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One exercise involved lightly pressing down on the abdomen in specified areas surrounding the belly button, while the other required contracting the hips in a bridge motion.—
Lindsey Leake,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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Mellencamp grew up modestly but comfortably in the idyllic town of Seymour, Indiana, the son of a mother who was an artist and nascent beauty queen, and a father who worked a white-collar job with a local electrical contracting firm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While Gold concurred that the ports will not be significantly impacted by the Iran war, the rising fuel costs due to the constriction of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could eventually effect retailers and consumers.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Lungs Starting at around 9,000 feet, your lungs may begin to swell due to a constriction of blood vessels, which can cause fluid to leak and accumulate.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Compression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compression. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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