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

Humidity falls throughout the day on Friday and decreases through Saturday morning. — Rachael Jay, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 The rate gradually decreases at higher incomes and phases out at $53,250. — Bydavid Schepp, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026 Cooking decreases some of the sugars in corn, such as glucose, fructose, and maltose. — Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 2026 Traffic on Guanella Pass also decreases significantly Monday through Thursday compared to weekends, Fulton said. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 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

Noun

The results are splendid when the duo is dealing, but when the line comes off the ice, the quality of play decreases. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026 But the city’s overall revenue growth is expected to be offset by decreases in property taxes and state marijuana share-back revenue. — Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decreases

Verb

This merger leaves fewer studios competing for scripts and talent, gives one company greater power to dictate terms to distributors, and reduces streaming choices.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
The order also tells state natural resources agencies to fast-track permitting for work that reduces flood and landslide risk.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of reduces

Verb

The governor’s effective yield to Harris diminishes the possibility of a showdown between two of California’s most powerful political figures in an election whose stakes are viewed by the Democratic Party as existential.

— Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
If those are important to you, that diminishes the credit's value.

— Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of diminishes

Noun

However, the announcement does not provide quantified figures for cost savings, production-time reductions or improvements in battery performance.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
While Levine Cava’s reductions on late-night routes survived intact in the budget, commissioners agreed to take up the issue again this fall before the cuts took effect this spring.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of reductions

Noun

Great Mountain Forest in Norfolk and Canaan, one of the largest conservation easements in the Northeast, is calling for volunteers to help support native forest bees as pollinators continue to see declines in their population.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
This individual can map the demographic trends across neighborhoods and help systems make enrollment zoning decisions that can shift zones or consolidate to nearby schools as enrollment declines.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of declines

Verb

Because every moment is narrated in Ugandan Sign Language and International Sign, Deaf travelers are more deeply immersed in the experience, and a welcome hush falls over the environment—which is, surprise, appreciated by the wildlife too.

— CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
However, the salt can solidify if its temperature falls too close to its freezing point.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of falls

Verb

The proportion of people older than 65 is rising rapidly, while the working-age population that supports them shrinks.

— Venki Ramakrishnan, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026
For example, if a project’s budget shrinks, leaders should explore what alternative approach could still deliver the outcome and communicate clearly if the outcome itself must shift.

— Ashish Agarwal, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026