DIMINISHING Synonyms: 232 Similar and Opposite Words

diminishing 1 of 2

noun

as in reducing

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diminishing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of diminish

as in minimizing

to express scornfully one's low opinion of tends to diminish any rival's accomplishments with snide remarks

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in decreasing

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent the state's blood supplies were severely diminished by the two consecutive disasters

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as in subsiding

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the sound of the train diminished as our distance from it increased

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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 diminishing

Noun

The consequences of the economic crisis, migration, unemployment and diminishing access to education can sometimes be felt even more severely in smaller towns than in major cities. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026 Not only do these dramatic repetitions yield diminishing returns, Hicks also seems to run out of ways to answer with any kind of surprising modulation. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026 Multiple observers cite diminishing prospects for luxury handbags. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026 The team has been to the playoffs the past four years, generally with diminishing returns year after year. — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Of recognizing the Sisyphean task ahead, the endless, unchanging road diminishing in the distance, and taking another step anyway. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026 With the tariff threat to its business diminishing, Linamar has been able to turn the disruption to its advantage. — Ari Altstedter, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 For the actor, the story of Willy’s diminishing place in a changing world is increasingly contemporary. — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026 Iran’s problem is the long-term cost of its current strategy; Washington’s problem is the diminishing returns on each additional night of bombing. — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 30 July 2026

Verb

Meanwhile, the housing market is getting crushed by high mortgage rates and diminishing affordability, while consumers are carrying ever more expensive credit card and auto debt. — John W. Diamond, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2026 The risk of eroding trust and diminishing stakeholder confidence by staying silent is too high. — Kristi Piehl, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026 Seemingly, the only thing that could slow down the automobile takeover was diminishing fuel supplies, fear of which had become a fixation of American oil companies and government officials after the Armistice. — Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026 Having already weathered so many attacks aimed at diminishing its power, the remaining Iranian leadership, which learned to tolerate hardship in the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, is unlikely to be cowed by further aggression. — James F. Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026 Jamie Squire / Getty Images LB Bobby Wagner Wagner turned 36 in June, and last season with the Commanders, his diminishing athleticism affected his performance as a coverage player. — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The diminishing budgets of the original five-movie Apes cycle take their toll on the final installment, which looks considerably lower-rent than its predecessors. — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 At least one expert said that some workers could have access to oxygen, but others warned that the chances of finding survivors were diminishing. — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 But others warned that the chances of finding survivors were diminishing. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for diminishing

Noun

The long answer is that Estée Lauder’s Diamond Moisturizer is hydrating (as all moisturizers should be), firming, tightening, wrinkle-reducing, age spot-fading, and texture-smoothing.

— Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 5 Jan. 2026
Moisturizing, soothing, and redness reducing, Erborian’s CC Cream is the ultimate cult-favorite beauty product.

— Beatrice Zocchi, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2025

Definition of reducing

Verb

This curious experimenter group is all about catching mistakes, working through early unexpected results—hello, hallucinations—and minimizing adoption pains.

— Robbie Morrison, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Use a balance transfer credit card A balance transfer can move your existing debt to a new card offering a low or 0% introductory APR, potentially giving you a year or longer to pay down the balance while minimizing interest charges.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of minimizing

Verb

Little brown bats can similarly reduce their metabolic demands by going Dracula for months at a time, decreasing their body temperatures by more than fifty degrees Fahrenheit and slowing their respiration to a handful of breaths an hour.

— Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
The steadiest and most widespread coverage of any rain should be early in the day with the coverage decreasing during the afternoon and evening.

— Rachael Jay, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of decreasing

Verb

Multiple Kelvin waves These waves can bring elevated sea levels for weeks at a time, eventually subsiding before the next wave hits.

— Zoe Mintz, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026
Two of them coincide with areas where satellite radar shows that the ground is actively subsiding.

— Nolan Roth, Scientific American, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of subsiding

Noun

When heated, calcium carbonate forms solid scale inside water heaters, coffee makers and pipes, reducing efficiency and shortening equipment life.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
This cooling should result in Mercury shrinking in a roughly uniform way, and that would make these shortening structures common across the planet.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of shortening

Verb

For some business owners, the impact extends beyond declining sales.

— Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan surpassed a record 100,000 this year, the latest government figures show, underscoring the country's rapidly aging and declining population.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of declining

Noun

Emerging markets such as India, which entered the top 20 markets two years ago and now ranks 15th for Swiss watch exports by size, and Mexico are also contributing to a lessening of the dependency on wavering top markets, in particular China.

— Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
The good news for the Broadway ticket buyer is that there does not necessarily appear to be a lessening in the quality of these shows, despite their quick turnaround.

— Katie North, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026