The aggressive salesman urged me to sign the contract right away.
Source: tatoeba (19222)
Contract
/ˈkɒntɹækt/
Synonyms for "contract" (404 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (81)
abbreviateabridgeabstractaccept obligationaccordacquireaffairaffianceafflictagreeagree toagreementanswer forapprenticearrangementattemptattenuatebagbangbar
Show 41 more words
bargainbargain forbarricadebattenbatten downbe answerable forbe brought downbe felledbe responsible forbe security forbe seized ofbe struck downbe traumatizedbecome engagedbetrothbindbinding agreementblackjackbobboil downboltbondbreak outbridgebring downbring onbring uponbusinessbuttonbutton upcapsulizecapturecartelcatchcatch coldcausecharterchokechoke offcircumscribeclap
Verb(5 words)
Noun(14 words)
agreeagreementagreement exclamationagreementsapiarrangementbecome infectedbetrothedbetrothingbindingbinding instrumentcatchcatchescatching
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (121)
clipcloseclose upcoarctcollapsecollective agreementcomecome bycome down withcome in forcome intocommitcommitmentcompactcompresscompromiseconcentratecondenseconfineconsolidate
Show 59 more words
consortiumconstrictconstringecontaincontract an engagementconventioncorralcorrugatecovenantcovenant of saltcovercrampcreasecropcurtailcutcut backcut downcut off shortcut shortdealdeclinedecreasedeedderangederivedevelopdickerdiminishdisorderdo a dealdockdrag downdrawdraw indraw togetherdwindleearneffortelideemployment contractengageengagemententer into possessionenterpriseepitomizeeruptfailfall in withfall intofarmfastenfeverflexfoldfold upforeshortenformformal agreement
Noun(26 words)
commission a studycommissioningcommissionscompressconcerning policycontract bridgecourse-related termcovenantcovenant withcovenantingcovenantscrampsdealdealingdealsdeclarationdecreasedocumentdocument weekly patterndocuments
Verb(15 words)
commissionedcompactcompressconcentratecondenseconstrictcutdiminish importanceelidedengagedengaged study planenter into covenantflexedforeshortenform a binding agreement
Adjective(1 words)
Related words (202)
Adjective(6 words)
formal instrumentlegal documentslocal business partnersofficial documentprivate entity contractshrunken
gaingamegathergetgo bail forgo ingo into shockguarantyharvesthave an understandingincurindisposeinduceinstrumentinviteironclad agreementkeyknitlatchlegal agreement
Show 119 more words
legal contractlessenlimitlocklock outlock upmakemake a dealmatchminifymowmutual agreementnarrownegotiatenetnipobligateobligationobtainoccludeodoperationoverdosepactpactionpadlockpickplanpledgeplightplumbpollpollardpreengagementprocureprogramprojectpromisepropositionprotocolprunepublish the bannspuckerpucker uppull downpursereaprecaprecapitulaterecognizancereducerestrictretrenchrunrun a temperaturesackscale downscoresealseal offseal upsecureshake hands onshaveshearshortenshrinkshrivelshutshut the doorshut upsickensinkslamsnapsnapesnubsolidifysqueezesqueeze shutstipulatestipulationstraitenstranglestrangulatestuntsuccumb tosum upsummarizesynopsizetaketake illtake intake the vowstapertasktelescopetransactiontreatytrimtrothtruncateunderstandingundertakeundertakingunion contractupsetvalid contractventureverbal agreementwage contractweakenwelcomewinwitherworkwrinklezip upzipper
Verb(21 words)
getgiggedindenturedmake an agreementnarrowpressprocuresreduceshortenshrankshrinkshriveledshrunksignsign onsign upsqueezetaketelescopedtighten
Show 1 more word
Noun(36 words)
giggigshiringhiring contractindentureindenturesinfectedinformal agreementinstrumentinstrumentsjobbinglegal documentnarrowingpactpact withpactspaperpromisepurchase orderpurchases
Show 16 more words
purchasingrecordromanian compactshrinkshrinkingshrinksshrivellingsignsign an agreementsisessubscriptionstensetensesunderstandingwritten agreementwritten instrument
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abbreviate, abbreviate, abbreviates, abridge, abridge.
- Sentence evidence is available for contract, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wordnet, derived_reverse, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "contract".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "contract"
Keep "contract" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "contract" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "contract", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "contract" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
31 entriesShowing 16 of 31 words.
More specific
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Collocations
12 entriesbinding contractbreach a contractcontract a diseasecontract termsemployment contractenter into a contractmake a contractrental contractservice contractsign a contractsigned contractwritten contract
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
5 entriesSample sentences
39 total sentences available.
After much effort, he ended up with a contract.
Source: tatoeba (27569)
We made a contract with the firm.
Source: tatoeba (29168)
He was compelled to sign the contract.
Source: tatoeba (30208)
Showing 4 of 39 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "contract"?
Closest matches include abbreviate, abbreviate, abbreviates, abridge, abridge.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "contract"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.