Synonyms of decreases

decreases 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of decrease

1

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reduces
• diminishes
• depletes
• lowers
• minimizes
• eases
• lessens
• dwindles
• downsizes
• abates
• drops
• slashes
• cuts
• compresses
• knocks down
• dents
• shortens
• shrinks
• de-escalates
• downscales
• constricts
• cuts down
• crops
• curtails
• truncates
• condenses
• trims
• modifies
• abbreviates
• contracts
• cuts back
• pares
• retrenches
• modulates
• whittles
• abridges
• prunes
• clips
• deflates
• nicks
• docks
• moderates
• qualifies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increases
• expands
• augments
• raises
• enlarges
• boosts
• amplifies
• escalates
• extends
• swells
• dilates
• lengthens
• inflates
• prolongs
• blows up
• adds (to)
• elongates
• enhances
• complements
• aggrandizes
• supplements
• intensifies
• distends
• heightens
• protracts
• redoubles

2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• diminishes
• subsides
• declines
• falls
• shrinks
• eases
• vanishes
• lessens
• ebbs
• lowers
• wanes
• tapers
• dwindles
• drops (off)
• dies (away or down or out)
• recedes
• drains (away)
• weakens
• moderates
• tapers off
• falls away
• palls
• abates
• evaporates
• relents
• remits
• ratchets (down)
• de-escalates
• rachets (down)
• phases down
• lets up
• collapses
• compresses
• constricts
• alleviates
• melts (away)
• slows (down)
• tails (off)
• fades (away)
• slackens
• condenses
• relaxes
• contracts
• peters (out)
• gives out
• fritters (away)
• sinks
• deflates
• flags
• caves (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increases
• rises
• grows
• builds
• expands
• intensifies
• accumulates
• enlarges
• swells
• mushrooms
• escalates
• soars
• appears
• mounts
• picks up
• emerges
• waxes
• shows up
• snowballs
• lengthens
• burgeons
• balloons
• elongates
• blows up
• distends

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reductions
• declines
• drops
• dents
• falls
• shrinkages
• decrements
• diminutions
• depletions
• losses
• slumps
• falloffs
• depressions
• diminishments
• drop-offs
• abatements
• step-downs
• subtractions
• cuts
• deductions
• downturns
• cutbacks
• slips
• curtailments
• shortenings
• retrenchments

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increases
• gains
• increments
• rises
• raises
• boosts
• enlargements
• additions
• accumulations
• supplements
• accruals
• upticks
• accretions
• extensions
• step-ups
• continuations
• upturns
• upswings
• uptrends

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of decreases

Verb

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

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

When leadership visibility decreases, accountability can become less consistent, not because standards change, but because reinforcement becomes less frequent. — Adam Povlitz, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Perhaps seawater’s viscosity — which decreases as temperature increases, making the water thinner —affects ciliary movements, Shapiro said. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026

Conversely, a larger FOV decreases the angular resolution, since the pixels are dispersed across a wider area of the screen. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

This number obviously decreases as planes are taking off and landing around airports, where air traffic controllers are able to maintain safe distances between flights. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026

Many take a kind of hormone therapy called aromatase inhibitors, which drastically decreases estrogen and can cause joint and muscle pain. — Holly Burns, Time, 30 July 2026

Each locks you into a progressively longer plan, while the monthly price also decreases. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 29 July 2026

Noun

More than half of states saw decreases in coverage for MMR, DTaP, polio vaccine, and varicella/chickenpox vaccine. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026

Despite recent week-over-week decreases, gas prices across California remain high for the last weeks of summer. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Transit and law enforcement leaders have cited significant decreases in crime on the system following that boost in law enforcement hours, which includes officers from the Cook County sheriff’s police. — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

The effect would have been the opposite in prior years, rendering two successive decreases in citywide homelessness marginally less impressive. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Other states hit hard by the opioid epidemic also saw year-over-year decreases in fatal overdoses, including states that didn’t loosen Medicaid billing rules, like Tennessee and West Virginia. — Alex Acquisto, ProPublica, 30 July 2026

The ceasefire in the Persian Gulf was followed by significant decreases in energy prices. — Sj Guest Editorial, Footwear News, 28 July 2026

The services economy, more efficient technology, work-from-home policies and strong fiscal stimulus from tax decreases have enabled us to weather short-term oil spikes. — Dryden Pence, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

However, gasoline and fuel oil both saw decreases of more than 9% in June. — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 July 2026