as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened
each decrement in amount is limited to one third of the previous total
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 decrement
However, there are cognitive decrements over time...
—
Taylor Wilson, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Faced with out-of-bounds readings for the radar’s hardware, each CDU began to issue radar increment and decrement interrupts to the guidance computer—lots of interrupts.
—Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 5 July 2019
Although the marijuana brownies caused significant decrements in participants’ attentiveness, physical coordination and ability to concentrate, only 11 percent of them ever had a THC blood level over the legal limit.
—Keith Humphreys, The Cannabist, 31 May 2017
The increment of fitness gain of the former happens to have been greater than the decrement entailed by the latter, resulting in the simultaneous increase in the frequency of both the fit and unfit variants.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2011
Taylor Wilson, USA Today, 25 July 2025
Faced with out-of-bounds readings for the radar’s hardware, each CDU began to issue radar increment and decrement interrupts to the guidance computer—lots of interrupts.
—Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 5 July 2019
Although the marijuana brownies caused significant decrements in participants’ attentiveness, physical coordination and ability to concentrate, only 11 percent of them ever had a THC blood level over the legal limit.
—Keith Humphreys, The Cannabist, 31 May 2017
The increment of fitness gain of the former happens to have been greater than the decrement entailed by the latter, resulting in the simultaneous increase in the frequency of both the fit and unfit variants.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decrement
Noun
-
Interviewed before the store closing, chief executive officer Tres Lund said last year that an increase in store security expenses and decrease in customer visits had left operating costs outpacing sales.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
26 Feb. 2026
-
In December, city staff requested an end to meeting room reservations for outside organizations due to concerns over security, a decrease in room bookings, and billing and reservation system challenges.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No one religious or spiritual practice appeared to be more protective against addiction, but the risk reduction was higher for people who regularly engaged in a spiritual or religious community, defined as weekly attendance at a religious service.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Eco effort Loews Kansas City participates in company-wide sustainability initiatives, including broad platforms focused on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Harrison Bader put a figurative dent into a baseball.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Recently, though, her charisma, cutting humor and being a loving mother have somehow eclipsed those accusations, and not even an entire TLC docuseries about her and her church could dent put a dent in her popularity.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Conte was a bad fit from the start and played a small part in their decline.—
Dan Kilpatrick,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The refusal to engage with the media contrasts Davis’ predecessors and contributes to a sharp decline in transparency at the Forty Acres, which also lost its faculty senate, a long-standing public forum that allowed faculty to question the president directly.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The night started with the Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews at center ice, set to take an honorary puck drop from Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito and head equipment manager Teddy Richards.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The kick would be a field goal place kick with a holder or a drop kick from the spot where the returner caught the ball.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decrement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decrement. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
