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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
Among the regular drinkers, weekly alcohol intake decreased by 68%, from approximately 23 units of alcohol to around 8 units. Shiv Sudhakar, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2025 Studies suggest adequate selenium levels can decrease your risk for breast, lung, esophageal, gastric, and prostate cancer, though more research is needed to establish this connection better.3 3. Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 19 May 2025
Noun
The Port of Portland, Oregon, tops the list with a 51% decrease in exports, while the Port of Tacoma, Washington, a large agricultural export port, has seen a 28% decrease. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 7 May 2025 This decrease has come while the Sacramento population has grown by about 60,000, according to census data. Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for decrease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decrease
Verb
  • An estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by at least 7.6 million from the Medicaid changes, and possibly more with other changes to the Affordable Care Act.
    Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
  • Another question has to do with the probiotics themselves: Can all probiotic supplements reduce negative feelings, or is there something specific about these nine bacteria included in the study?
    Simon Spichak, Health, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2025
  • Trump also alluded briefly to the diminishing trade between the U.S. and China in the wake of the tariff standoff when a reporter asked about falling container volumes at U.S. ports.
    Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Beijing will meet the U.S. reductions, dropping tariffs on U.S. goods to 10%.
    JJ Kinahan, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • The bill earmarks a reduction of federal matching funds for Medicaid expansion populations, decreasing the current 90 percent federal contribution to the standard range of 50 to 83 percent.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • Luckily, the experience trumped inhaling the intense stench, which eventually subsided.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 16 May 2025
  • This new poll, and others, suggest voters' concerns over the economy may be subsiding.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • And some experts worry that the recent decline could be slowed or stopped by reductions in federal funding and the public health workforce, or a shift away from the strategies that seem to be working.
    Geoff Mulvihill, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
  • Ticket prices for sporting events plunged by 12.2%, the biggest monthly decline on record.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Without employer pensions or consistent guidance, more of the retirement burden falls squarely on individuals.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025
  • Bonds fell too, with the 10-year yield rising 3 basis points to 6.38%, though further declines were limited by debt purchases by the monetary authority.
    Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
Noun
  • Related Articles Overall sales were down 11 percent to $1.2 billion — which beat analyst expectations of a 12.4 percent drop.
    Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 13 May 2025
  • Before the dramatic drop, 500 to 800 piping plover pairs nested in the Great Lakes, according to the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team.
    Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • These requests show that district officials have yet to ease concerns about what some fear is a potential environmental risk lurking in and around the Liberty elementary school.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2025
  • Now, that seems to be easing, amid a shifting interest-rate environment and new approaches to game-making, as numerous speakers at the recent Los Angeles Games Conference detailed.
    David Bloom, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decrease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decrease. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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