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decrease

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb decrease differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of decrease are abate, diminish, dwindle, lessen, and reduce. While all these words mean "to grow or make less," decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

When would abate be a good substitute for decrease?

The meanings of abate and decrease largely overlap; however, abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

When could diminish be used to replace decrease?

While the synonyms diminish and decrease are close in meaning, diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

When can dwindle be used instead of decrease?

Although the words dwindle and decrease have much in common, dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

When is it sensible to use lessen instead of decrease?

The words lessen and decrease can be used in similar contexts, but lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

When might reduce be a better fit than decrease?

While in some cases nearly identical to decrease, 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 decrease
Verb
This risk decreases as the storm moves away. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2025 Violent crime in Chicago has dropped significantly in the first half of the year, according to official data released by the city, with shootings down 37% and homicides decreasing by 32% compared to the first half of 2024, according to crime statistics. Megan Forrester, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
The latest warning comes just months after Eric Hoplin, president & CEO of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, told CNBC there have been decreases as high as 60% in orders from brick-and-mortar retailers and local hardware stores. Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2025 The brakes are upgraded, too, with carbon ceramic brakes delivering a decrease in weight and better stopping power. Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decrease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decrease
Verb
  • Now, many employers are looking to harness the power of AI—initially for mundane and repetitive tasks and eventually for more complicated jobs—to reduce the need to maintain the same level of human staffers on their payrolls.
    Jason Del Rey, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • And drivers can reduce the risk of their cars being hit.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bean and squash yields (as measured by weight) were reduced when intercropped with maize, while maize yields were only slightly diminished when intercropped.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After one year, participants in all three groups saw reductions not only in their distress but in levels of hemoglobin A1C (a key indicator of blood glucose; higher levels mean worse control).
    Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Rudolph said the tools, which are mainly used to automate session notes, to autogenerate care plans and to interpret lab results, have resulted in a 65 percent reduction in documentation time.
    Katherine Fung, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • By day 10, my entire nervous system was hijacked—every fiber of my being was at ease, and all cravings subsided.
    Essence, Essence, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Their base case assumes that recovery will resume once uncertainty subsides.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That research has also linked ultraprocessed foods to health concerns like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease.
    Alice Callahan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • These participants tended to report good physical health and strong social relationships, but their testing revealed small declines in memory and emotional awareness.
    Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Try to find a place that will block blowing or falling debris.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2025
  • However, compared to his older stepbrothers, his net worth falls a little bit short.
    StyleCaster Editors, StyleCaster, 12 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Watering too often, not often enough, at lower ambient temperatures, and late in the day can lead to plant diseases, leaf drop, or an explosion of harmful pests.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Queens saw enrollment drop 13% between fall 2024 and fall 2025 and had over $104 million in outstanding debt at the end of the 2024 fiscal year.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The agency recently announced a plan to ease regulations on climate pollutants known as hydrofluorocarbons.
    Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • That Israel and Hamas have agreed the first phase of a Gaza peace plan in the last 48 hours is unlikely to significantly ease that tension.
    Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decrease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decrease. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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