shorten
v.v. to make something shorter in length or time. You can use this for clothes, stories, or even your work hours.
v. to reduce the length, duration, or extent of something. Transitive — requires a direct object.
I need to shorten these trousers because they are too long.
The editor asked the writer to shorten the article so it would fit on a single page.
As winter approaches, the days begin to shorten significantly, leaving commuters to travel home in total darkness by late afternoon.
From Middle English shortnen, schortenen, equivalent to short + -en (verbal suffix). In some senses, a continuation (in altered form) of Middle English schorten (“to make short, shorten”), from Old English sċortian (“to become short”), from Proto-Germanic *skurtōną (“to shorten”).
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it is often used with 'to' to indicate the final length.
He wants to short the meeting.He wants to shorten the meeting.Learners often use the adjective 'short' as a verb, but 'shorten' is the correct verbal form for making something shorter.