contraction

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It takes a lot to push a large, diversified economy into a period of outright contraction that spreads across sectors and involves net employment losses.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

March’s headline reading also beat the 50.3 forecast from economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal, standing above the 50-point mark separating expansion from contraction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 50.4 this month from February’s 49.0, ending two straight months of contraction, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

ING economists expect the official manufacturing PMI to finally have returned to expansion territory in March after a long run of contraction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

I could feel the expansion and contraction of his ribs with each breath.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson