diminishing returns
plural noun
1
: a rate of yield that beyond a certain point fails to increase in proportion to additional investments of labor or capital
2
: benefits that beyond a certain point fail to increase in proportion to extended efforts
Examples of diminishing returns in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There is the realness of relentless childcare, the care of elderly parents, of diminishing returns.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
And like so many franchises before it, an endless number of follow-ups chased easy money and diminishing returns.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Tang’s last three seasons have not matched his first, a series of diminishing returns that are reaching their nadir this year.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The result is wasted energy, excess heat, and diminishing returns on efficiency improvements that once accompanied each generation of smaller transistors.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diminishing returns
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Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
And like so many franchises before it, an endless number of follow-ups chased easy money and diminishing returns.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Tang’s last three seasons have not matched his first, a series of diminishing returns that are reaching their nadir this year.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
The result is wasted energy, excess heat, and diminishing returns on efficiency improvements that once accompanied each generation of smaller transistors.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diminishing returns
Cite this Entry
“Diminishing returns.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diminishing%20returns. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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