decrease

verb

de·crease | \ di-ˈkrēs

, ˈdē-ˌ

decreased; decreasing

Definition of decrease

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to grow progressively less (as in size, amount, number, or intensity) Yearly sales decreased by five percent. His little remaining strength had been decreasing rapidly for two or three days preceding …— Charles Dickens

transitive verb

: to cause to decrease decrease the risk of heart disease trying to decrease our use of fossil fuels

decrease

noun

de·crease | \ ˈdē-ˌkrēs

, di-ˈ

Definition of decrease (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the process of growing progressively less (as in size, amount, number, or intensity) : the process of decreasing a decrease in productivity

2 : an amount of diminution : reduction a decrease of 20,000 saw a 20% decrease in violent crime

Other Words from decrease Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about decrease

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Choose the Right Synonym for decrease

Verb

decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, abate, dwindle mean to grow or make less. decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity. slowly decreased the amount of pressure lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number. has been unable to lessen her debt diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total. his visual acuity has diminished reduce implies a bringing down or lowering. you must reduce your caloric intake abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount. the storm abated dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller. their provisions dwindled slowly

Examples of decrease in a Sentence

Verb

Sales decreased by five percent this year. The driver decreased her speed as she approached the curve. These changes will decrease our expenses.

Noun

Studies report a recent decrease in traffic accidents. Because of the injury, some decrease in mobility is to be expected. a decrease of three dollars

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Follow these tips to blast belly fat or prevent it from piling on in the first place and decrease your risk of having a heart attack: 1. — Karyn Repinski, Woman's Day, "New Research Links Belly Fat to an Increased Risk of Heart Attacks in Women," 23 Jan. 2019 Turning the Page Adult fiction and e-books make up a decreasing share of the overall book market in the U.S. — Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, WSJ, "‘They Own the System’: Amazon Rewrites Book Industry by Marching Into Publishing," 16 Jan. 2019 Besides convenience, online registration has helped improve the accuracy of voter rolls and decreased costs, Marks said. — Jonathan Lai, Philly.com, "Online voter registration in Pa., three years in: More than 1 in 5 voters register online," 12 July 2018 The first line of treatment is physical therapy to regain motion and decrease inflammation. — Dr. Harlan Selesnick, miamiherald, "'Frozen shoulder' a common injury from working out," 2 July 2018 Despite Arizona's gradually-decreasing unemployment rate, nearly a quarter of all Arizona children still live in poverty, according to report released this week by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. — Megan Janetsky, azcentral, "1 in 4 Arizona children live in poverty, national KidsCount report shows," 28 June 2018 The decreasing age of puberty in girls, trends in the use of antidepressants, and potential effects of the 2008 economic crisis are a few examples. — Amanda Macmillan, Health.com, "Suicide Attempts Have Risen Among Kids and Teens. Here's What Parents Need to Know," 16 May 2018 Shipping charges start at roughly $20, decreasing with every item added. — Saabira Chaudhuri, WSJ, "The World’s Biggest Brands Want You to Refill Your Orange Juice and Deodorant," 24 Jan. 2019 The ketogenic state has been linked to increasing satiety hormones and decreasing hunger hormones — well-researched during the initial phase. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "Keto Diet Pills and Supplements May Hurt Your Health and Waste Your Money," 16 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

One of the effects of climate change is a decrease in the mass of ice sheets in polar regions. — Hans Aschim, Harper's BAZAAR, "Three Women in Science Who Broke the Glass Ceiling," 5 Oct. 2018 After that time, the researchers saw a statistically significant decrease in participants' blood pressure. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Surprise: Celery Juice Will Not Cure All of Your Health Issues," 25 Jan. 2019 If the company were to bring more awareness to sustainability, their annual cup usage would likely see a significant decrease. — Spoon U, Teen Vogue, "How Starbucks Can Make a Bigger Difference Than Going Strawless," 20 July 2018 Every other year saw a decrease going into the summer. — Kate Morrissey, Anchorage Daily News, "Illegal border crossings decrease for the first time in 2018," 7 July 2018 This year, the library has seen a decrease in the number of items that become overdue. — Cornelius Frolik, ajc, "Since Ohio library ended late fees, more materials getting returned," 6 July 2018 Every other year saw a decrease going into the summer. — Kate Morrissey, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Illegal border crossings decrease for the first time in 2018," 6 July 2018 Arrest figures among area south and southwest suburban police departments varied, with most seeing a decrease last year compared with 2016, according to the AAIM survey. — Mike Nolan, Daily Southtown, "Orland Park among top communities in 2017 for DUI arrests, according to survey," 29 June 2018 And in Baltimore, shootings and homicides are far from the only categories of crime that have seen decreases since last year. — Kevin Rector, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore crime still trending below last year, though declines narrowed in second quarter," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'decrease.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.