11.   Companies are merging to stay competitive as defense budget shrinks in the U.S. and abroad.

12.   Companies are merging to stay competitive as defense budgets shrink in the U.S. and abroad.

13.   Companies are merging to stay competitive as defense budgets shrink worldwide.

14.   Companies are using mergers to stay competitive as defense budgets shrink worldwide.

15.   Congress also has to think about preserving productive capacity, a challenge when defense budgets are continually shrinking.

16.   Foreign aid budgets are shrinking, but these banks are growing.

17.   It has become apparent that advertising budgets are shrinking and that the supply of billboards has outstripped demand.

18.   NASA said Friday that it would make deep cuts in its work force and streamline its operations as its budget shrinks in a new era of austerity.

19.   Size matters in the defense industry, because as the Pentagon budget shrinks, companies must have enough different contracts to keep them going.

20.   Skepticism has increased as military budgets have shrunk and U.S. forces have become involved in costly forays into the peacekeeping business in Haiti, Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia.