1
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
workers decreased the volume of water flowing through the pipes in order to prevent an overflow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to diminish
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the force of the wind slowly decreased until the flowers were standing upright again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reduction
the amount by which something is lessened
the average decrease in the price of milk was five cents per gallon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decrease
Hanna Park, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Josh Krepon, president of direct-to-consumer at Steve Madden, said partnering with Amazon decreases the average shipping time by multiple days.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
In the prior contract, Equity saw salary increases, better paid sick leave benefits, a decrease in weekly rehearsal hours after a show opens and one additional personal day off for everyone, among other provisions.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decrease
Verb
Winds have decreased to 5 mph or less, but are expected to increase again throughout the day, reaching 15 to 20 mph out of the west-southwest, with gusts up to 25 mph possible.
—Hanna Park, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Josh Krepon, president of direct-to-consumer at Steve Madden, said partnering with Amazon decreases the average shipping time by multiple days.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
While Memphis has seen high numbers of violent crimes such as homicides and carjackings in recent years, Democratic and Republican officials have noted decreases this year in some crime categories.
—Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
In the prior contract, Equity saw salary increases, better paid sick leave benefits, a decrease in weekly rehearsal hours after a show opens and one additional personal day off for everyone, among other provisions.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decrease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decrease
Verb
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To reduce the risk of mosquito bites and West Nile virus, health officials recommend using insect repellent and wearing long sleeves and long pants when outdoors, especially during peak mosquito activity at dawn and dusk.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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Autos Are an Economic Anchor China’s bold move into electric vehicles began in 2009 as a top-down policy to compete with foreign automakers, cut air pollution and reduce oil imports.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their patches of habitat and their water sources are diminishing; their feeding timeline has grown increasingly erratic, and more barricades are being built all the time, limiting their freedom of movement.—
Ganesh Marín,
The Dial,
7 Oct. 2025
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And another sign the perception is of a Panthers team diminished.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Sony’s Ohama, however, hinted that the RGB’s foundation in the LED architecture that sets have used for backlighting for the past 15 or so years might allow for cost reductions over time.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
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The Ember report also indicated a modest decline in global power sector emissions, down by 12 million tonnes of CO₂, largely due to reductions in China and India.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There was some concern about Mayfield’s status for the Bucs’ Week 5 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, but those worries were likely subsided after Mayfield was a full participant in Thursday’s practice.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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The annexation question appeared to subside for a time afterwards.—
Paula Newton,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Treasury yields fell Wednesday after new data showed a surprise decline in private payrolls, while traders monitored the consequences of the government shutdown after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on the federal funding bill.—
Sean Conlon,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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The company may still boast one of Silicon Valley’s most storied names, but its staff, which numbered 96,000 as of the end of July, had worked for years through nearly uninterrupted decline, watching their company lose nearly all relevance.—
Lila MacLellan,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Zay Flowers, who finished with a receiving line of 5-for-72, fell a yard short of a long TD on a 56-yard gain.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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City administrator echoes points other municipalities have stated Brown presented a series of slides and data pieces that, among other facts, showed the city has lagged further behind in terms of property revenue increases falling short of 3% inflation on existing services on average.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Follow the album drop LIVE with USA TODAY Taylor Swift Reporter Byran West and read USA TODAY's glittering review of Swift's playful pop.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Transform a small entryway into a functional living area by incorporating a bench for seating, a side table, and a chest of drawers for drop-zone storage near the door.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Organizers said donations will help ease medical and financial burdens for the family during his recovery.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Criteria have been eased several times since then as the kingdom increasingly sees the need to court foreign capital.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decrease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decrease. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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