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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb diminish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of diminish are abate, decrease, dwindle, lessen, and reduce. While all these words mean "to grow or make less," diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

When is abate a more appropriate choice than diminish?

In some situations, the words abate and diminish are roughly equivalent. However, abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

When would decrease be a good substitute for diminish?

While the synonyms decrease and diminish are close in meaning, decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

Where would dwindle be a reasonable alternative to diminish?

The meanings of dwindle and diminish largely overlap; however, dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

In what contexts can lessen take the place of diminish?

While in some cases nearly identical to diminish, lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

When could reduce be used to replace diminish?

The synonyms reduce and diminish are sometimes interchangeable, but reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of diminish Half a year on from the collapse of Putin's ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Moscow now faces a regional partner whose regime is diminished. Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 At least at the moment, the odds of the Iranians suddenly closing the Strait of Hormuz is diminished. Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 June 2025 Marotta suggests shortening league schedules, which means diminishing domestic competitions while giving more power to the likes of FIFA and UEFA. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025 Syria: Iran and Syria had close ties during the Iran-Iraq war, but that diminished since the ouster of the President Bashar al-Assad. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for diminish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diminish
Verb
  • The couple's wedding planners told Fox News Digital that Bezos and Sánchez specifically instructed them to minimize the disruptions to the best of their ability out of respect to the locals.
    Lauryn Overhultz , Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
  • Here are some strategies for carving up a large restaurant bill to minimize stress on wait staff and prevent fights among tablemates.
    Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Only a system designed with these principles can truly protect your organization, reduce losses and maintain trust with your honest customers.
    Marcin Nowak, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • All evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The top three contributors to hydroplaning are: Vehicle speed - When a vehicle's speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2025
  • The three main causes of hydroplaning are: Vehicle speed - When a vehicle's speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Last month, Fernando Casas-Gamboa’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the indictment, alleging that ICE is wrongly detaining his client on immigration grounds despite Major ordering his pre-trial release in the criminal case.
    Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025
  • Kiser's attorneys also filed a notice to dismiss some agencies from the lawsuit, and the court sealed a declaration Kiser wrote about this case.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • The program’s vehicles were rentals and will be returned to vendors as the program subsides.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 24 June 2025
  • Once the killing subsided, a desperate search began to find a way to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again.
    Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Iran's missile launches have declined, though officials have not explained.
    Amanda Castro Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
  • That provision alarmed Democratic lawmakers at a time when public districts large and small are seeing their enrollments decline as more Florida families choose charters, private schools or homeschool options.
    Kate Payne, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Diminish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diminish. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on diminish

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