1.   Economists said the sharp contraction was largely a result of the jump in exports last February, after the Kobe earthquake blocked exports in January.

2.   Even departments singled out by Congress for sharp contraction report little in the way of permanent change.

3.   Fang-Yi Sheu, a newcomer, was the woman in red, emblematic of passion whose sharp contractions and swiftness were so striking.

4.   Internet city guides, like many other consumer Web sites, have been hurt by a sharp contraction in Internet advertising sales.

5.   Singapore and Taiwan each reported sharp economic contractions in the third quarter that were among their worst in decades.

6.   The dollar weakened last month after merchandise trade figures showed a sharp contraction in the U.S.-Japan trade surplus.

7.   The reason Gary is in such bad shape is the sharp contraction of the steel industry a generation ago, followed by white flight.

8.   They should not follow the contractionary effect of this withdrawal of credit with sharp fiscal contraction of their own because their budget policies are already in pretty good shape.

9.   To be sure, the unemployment rate fell in March largely because of a sharp contraction in the labor force.

10.   He made the comment on the worst case scenario where the non-performing loans of the banks continue to soar on the back of the sharp economic contraction.