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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
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases. Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Apr. 2025 Listen to this article 2 min Teddi Mellencamp revealed a positive update on her Stage 4 cancer battle, and said a recent scan showed her brain and lung tumors were decreasing in size. Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
For instance, after a decrease from 2020 to 2023, CPD shootings of community members jumped in 2024 and are on track to increase further in 2025. Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025 Since the congestion relief program launched a bit more than 100 days ago, there have been 6 million fewer vehicles in the Congestion Relief Zone, an 11% decrease from 2024. Brian Fritsch, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decrease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decrease
Verb
  • The goal of this prescribed burn is to decrease the existing fire hazard and to prevent and reduce the impact of future fires in the area.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Keeping yourself hydrated and reducing your salt intake may also help reduce bloating and help your body rid itself of excess fluid. Types of Creatine Several types of creatine are used in supplements.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, a more constrained and domestically focused healthcare agenda is likely to diminish trust in federal health agencies, limit access to culturally competent care and produce a loss of global leadership in health innovation.
    Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Whereas a decline in home values diminishes the equity investors might hold in their properties, which limits their ability to leverage assets for additional investments or refinancing opportunities.
    William Jones, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the average price reduction was five percent in April, the same rate as in March.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Obviously, income reductions aren't advisable but can come with an income-tax silver lining.
    Russ Wiles, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But much of that has subsided now; the Steelers, after all, don’t have a second-round pick and trading up could be out of the question as a result.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2025
  • While immediate inflation concerns have subsided, the current administration's aggressive tariff and immigration policies are creating new economic anxieties that could lead to future instability.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This is a result of a profit-first capitalist system in crisis in the epoch of imperialism’s decline.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Gold’s warning What’s more, the spike in gold prices this year has continued to signal a risk-off mentality among investors, as gold tends to rally during periods of decline in stocks.
    Pia Singh, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Rising bond yields Yields on 10-year Treasury bonds typically fall – and their prices rise - as investors flee stocks for the safe haven of Treasuries during economic slowdowns.
    Paul Davidson, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
  • The basic premise of DeSantis’s primary candidacy—that Republicans wanted Trumpism without Trump—fell apart once the former president started hoovering up media attention and gained a wide lead in the polls.
    Drew Nelles, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • That was the sharpest drop except for that seen at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • About 4 in 10 Republicans called Russia an enemy of the U.S., an 18-point drop from 2024.
    Filip Timotija, The Hill, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Hygge practices also promote mindfulness, anchoring you in the present and easing symptoms of burnout and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • This shift acknowledges cannabis’s medical potential and eases some research restrictions.
    Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decrease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decrease. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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