DECREASES Synonyms: 159 Similar and Opposite Words

decreases 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of decrease

as in reduces

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent workers decreased the volume of water flowing through the pipes in order to prevent an overflow

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in diminishes

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the force of the wind slowly decreased until the flowers were standing upright again

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

decreases

2 of 2

noun

plural of decrease

as in reductions

the amount by which something is lessened the average decrease in the price of milk was five cents per gallon

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 decreases

Verb

Cooking decreases some of the sugars in corn, such as glucose, fructose, and maltose. — Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 2026 Fertility in women decreases gradually but significantly at age 32 and rapidly after 37, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 While passengers often remain seated for hours at a time, crew spend the majority of the flight on their feet, which decreases their chances of stiffness. — Sophia Dyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Aug. 2026 When employees actively participate in shaping the policies that govern their day-to-day experience, engagement rises and turnover decreases. — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Eventually, the plants become woody in the center, and the number of blooms decreases. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026 If the vehicle slows significantly below the required speed, the normal force between its tires and the tunnel surface decreases, increasing the risk of losing contact. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026 Increasing the number of CPUs available significantly decreases the latency for Llama-8B responses over longer sequence lengths. — IEEE Spectrum, 16 Aug. 2026 Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows that AI adoption in manufacturing initially decreases productivity before ultimately helping workers achieve long-term gains. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Noun

And these startling figures do not reflect the food crises that could be unleashed this year by rising energy and fertilizer prices, decreases in grain exports from Russia and Ukraine, and an intensifying El Niño weather pattern. — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026 The production of only eumelanin decreases in hot, dry regions, resulting in reddish body coloration, whereas the production of both types of melanin is reduced in very cold regions, resulting in pale body coloration. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026 Some early studies are showing that people using AI chatbots designed with cognitive behavior therapy principles experienced decreases in symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to psychologists. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 But the summer months have also thrown into sharp relief the unequal way in which those decreases in violence have shown up across the city. — Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 In the Phase 2 TRANQUILITY study, the drug, pacibekitug, led to sustained decreases in biomarkers of inflammation, according to results presented Saturday at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual meeting in Munich. — Andrew Joseph, STAT, 29 Aug. 2026 In the era after the high inflation of the 1970s, there have been eight episodes of substantial increases or decreases in the Federal Funds rate, the interest rate that the Fed controls directly. — Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Since that time, the pope said AI and technology at large decreases the interactions and relationships people have with one another. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 States with large rural populations that expanded Medicaid under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act are expected to see the largest decreases in Medicaid spending. — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decreases

Verb

In terms of hardware, the iPhone Duo comes with Apple’s upgraded A20 Pro chip, the company’s in-house C2 cellular modem, a 48-megapixel camera, and a nanotexture finish on its display that reduces glare and reflections.

— Emma Roth, The Verge, 9 Sep. 2026
Whether the strategy reduces graft is a live debate — Singapore is third-lowest of 182 countries on one index, but Hong Kong, with much lower pay, also scores well.

— Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of reduces

Noun

The soy-tomato condition showed significant reductions in key markers of inflammation.

— Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 5 Sep. 2026
And on the opposite side of the same coin, the solutions to inflation – spending reductions and higher taxes – are massively unpopular and could hurt the economy in the short run.

— David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of reductions

Noun

Meanwhile, El Palacio de Hierro in Mexico has redirected part of its open-to-buy to affordable luxury and entry price points to offset declines at the higher end.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2026
The gains came largely from a rebound in leisure and hospitality and local government, after declines in both over the summer.

— Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of declines

Verb

Wisconsin only falls one spot after being competitive with Notre Dame for more than a half.

— Chris Vannini, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
When the baseline is agreed early, each new agent inherits it, and the cost and risk of every additional deployment falls rather than rising.

— Krishnaveni Palanivelu, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of falls

Noun

Holmes founded Theranos in 2003 and became one of Silicon Valley’s most celebrated young entrepreneurs by claiming the company could perform a wide range of medical tests using only a few drops of blood.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Its rugged silicone exterior is IP67-rated to resist water, dust, and drops, while the flexible utility strap easily clips onto backpacks, handlebars, or coolers.

— Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026