decrease

verb

de·crease | \ di-ˈkrēs

, ˈdē-ˌkrēs

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-ˈkrēs

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

Much progress has been made in acclimating once-resistant communities to that vaccine, which is administered through a mouth drop, with the number of polio cases decreasing from 20,000 in 1994 to 12 last year. — Washington Post, "Hundreds of children in Pakistan have been infected with HIV. Used needles could be to blame.," 7 June 2019 There would be some changes in fouls, mainly the two-shot bonus would decrease from seven team fouls to five. — Dominique Yates, The Courier-Journal, "Thanks, NCAA, for changing the 3-point line. Next we need to see 4 quarters," 7 June 2019 The rate will decrease from 10 percent to 6.5 percent. — Erika Butler, baltimoresun.com, "Aberdeen approves $29.4 million budget for FY2020; OKs spending $75,000 more on Ripken Stadium lawsuit," 6 June 2019 Monthly wages fell 53 percent from 2013 to 2017, and the average driver’s income decreased from $1,469 to $783 per month. — Aditi Shrikant, Vox, "Why some people don’t tip their Uber drivers," 8 Oct. 2018 The National Hurricane Center said the hurricane’s peak winds have decreased slightly to 125 mph but the size of the wind field has increased to outwards of 70 miles from the center.. — Fox News, "Hurricane Florence, 'storm of a lifetime,' generating 83-foot high waves as it barrels towards Carolina coast," 13 Sep. 2018 The number of hookah lounges decreased from 51 to 46 and the number of vape shops shrunk from 25 to 21. — David Garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego sees decrease in stores selling tobacco, hookah lounges, vape shops," 11 July 2018 Reported hate crimes in the state decreased every year from 2007 to 2014, reaching a low of 758 alleged incidents in California, according to the attorney general’s report. — James Queally, latimes.com, "Hate crimes rise in California for third straight year, state report says," 10 July 2018 So, for now, those nation-leading costs are set to decrease, if only potentially. — Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, "Michigan's Auto Insurance Premiums, Highest in the Nation, Targeted by Bipartisan Deal," 24 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But the city shed nearly 3,000 low-income black households, a 17%, decrease, between 2000 and 2015, according to a report by the Urban Displacement Project at the University of California, Berkeley. — Washington Post, "Film captures the loss of black San Franciscans," 7 June 2019 That reduction in physical activity can trigger weight gain, decrease in muscle tone, and a loss of balance that can increase the risk of falls. — Colin Driscoll, sun-sentinel.com, "Correcting hearing loss can help keep older adults engaged in life," 5 June 2019 Despite dramatic decreases in lead poisoning nationally and locally, the number of children poisoned in Cleveland is still higher than the rest of Ohio and four times more than other kids nationally. — Rachel Dissell, cleveland.com, "Cleveland City Council legislation aims for “systemic change” in approach to lead poisoning," 3 June 2019 Donald Trump has asked for a 44 percent decrease in legal immigration which the Democrats have balked at. — Fox News, "White House defends immigration policy amid backlash," 19 June 2018 That accounts for a net decrease of 0.08 percent of forest area each year. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "Another Glimpse of State Terror in Trump’s America," 8 June 2018 The tents were partly responsible for a decrease in the commission’s real estate funds and indirectly reduced federal Section 8 housing vouchers and funds for the federal Moving to Work program, which ties job opportunities to assistance. — Gary Warth, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Housing dollars drop as city funds homeless tents," 10 May 2018 Putting this into some perspective, the district’s director of finance, Stephen Neaman, pointed out that part of the reason for such a seemingly high decrease is that the forest preserves will be switching to a calendar fiscal year in 2020. — Dan Moran, Lake County News-Sun, "Moran: Budget shows growth phase coming to an end at the Lake County Forest Preserves," 8 May 2018 Gutierrez drew up a list of 20-plus closures to show to his landlord to bargain for a rent decrease. — Kyle Arnold, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Central Florida tourist gift shops hang on among tough competition," 23 Mar. 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.