as in reducing
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1
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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2
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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3
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of diminishing
Paris Barraza, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Spring-Flowering Trees To avoid removing flower buds and diminishing—or halting entirely—the annual floral show, wait to prune trees that bloom before July until they are done flowering.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
Arsenal had lost the game, and yet another chunk of their diminishing lead in the table.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Consolidation of power This diminishing of the role of the presidency and political legitimacy forms the background to any questions of succession now.
—Roxane Razavi, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Based on the diminishing returns of the Reading Challenge over the years (at this point, the Library needs to be shut down and defunded.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2026
Pollsters began noting diminishing approval for LGBTQ legal protections.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
But its premise never evolves enough to let loose in ridiculous fashion, yielding diminishing returns.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
The diminishing results amplified his idiosyncrasies.
—Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026
Even the most ambitious stories often felt exhausted by the third installment, with diminishing creative and financial returns.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Voting Rights Act was already weakened Section Two of the Voting Rights Act tries to prevent legislative map drawers from diminishing the voting power of racial minorities by either packing them into one district or spreading them out across too many districts to have an impact.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
New communication technologies have allowed the commission to expand opportunities for public participation while diminishing the requirement for physical hearings outside of the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The quality and quantity of fruit and vegetables is diminishing, and prices are surging even further beyond the means of many across the island nation.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Fans’ attachment is largely to the kids, who aren’t kids anymore, and ’80s nostalgia, which is a diminishing resource.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2026
The densest areas fragment first, diminishing further in size.
—Big Think, 20 Apr. 2026
Murray can breathe a sigh of relief that Nickeil Alexander-Walker left Minnesota for greener pastures in free agency last summer, diminishing the Wolves’ on-ball defensive firepower.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
The ability to comfortably live in California has become more difficult for the average resident, as the cost of living and the dollar's diminishing value have increased over the last year, said Theresa Rutherford, president of SEIU 1020.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Spring-Flowering Trees To avoid removing flower buds and diminishing—or halting entirely—the annual floral show, wait to prune trees that bloom before July until they are done flowering.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
Arsenal had lost the game, and yet another chunk of their diminishing lead in the table.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Consolidation of power This diminishing of the role of the presidency and political legitimacy forms the background to any questions of succession now.
—Roxane Razavi, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
Based on the diminishing returns of the Reading Challenge over the years (at this point, the Library needs to be shut down and defunded.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2026
Pollsters began noting diminishing approval for LGBTQ legal protections.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
But its premise never evolves enough to let loose in ridiculous fashion, yielding diminishing returns.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
The diminishing results amplified his idiosyncrasies.
—Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
Back at the Elias-Clarke building, Runway’s intrepid leader Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) and her deputy Nigel (Stanley Tucci) fight to keep their once-vital, but now diminishing, print product alive in the digital age.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026
Even the most ambitious stories often felt exhausted by the third installment, with diminishing creative and financial returns.
—Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Voting Rights Act was already weakened Section Two of the Voting Rights Act tries to prevent legislative map drawers from diminishing the voting power of racial minorities by either packing them into one district or spreading them out across too many districts to have an impact.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
New communication technologies have allowed the commission to expand opportunities for public participation while diminishing the requirement for physical hearings outside of the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
The quality and quantity of fruit and vegetables is diminishing, and prices are surging even further beyond the means of many across the island nation.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Fans’ attachment is largely to the kids, who aren’t kids anymore, and ’80s nostalgia, which is a diminishing resource.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 2026
The densest areas fragment first, diminishing further in size.
—Big Think, 20 Apr. 2026
Murray can breathe a sigh of relief that Nickeil Alexander-Walker left Minnesota for greener pastures in free agency last summer, diminishing the Wolves’ on-ball defensive firepower.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 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
Verb
-
The southern site also would not require the creation of a new quarry for dam materials, minimizing environmental impacts.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
By spacing screenings to every two years, the ACP argues the tradeoff between early detection and minimizing those harms shifts in most women’s favor.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These changes were to be achieved by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, decreasing the consumption of meat and eggs, and substituting nonfat milk for whole milk.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In addition, federal funding is decreasing.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Breezy winds return on Tuesday after subsiding somewhat on Monday.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
-
But there were no signs that the conflict was subsiding.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Always dry thoroughly, heat on the stovetop until completely dry, and apply a thin layer of oil or shortening.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
-
This movement engages the quad concentrically, which means the muscles contract while shortening, Mann said.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Federal lawyers said judges made mistakes in dismissing the cases by arguing the Civil Rights Act granted the attorney general access to local voting records.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Quit dismissing them as uneducated.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Reports in 2024 and 2025 indicated declining health, including low blood pressure, dizziness and heart problems, but these claims could not be independently verified.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Now these countries, like much of the world, are facing declining birth rates that threaten to upend their economies.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While appearing radical at the time, the revamping of scientific boards to include more industry representatives, the undoing of power plant rules and the lessening of enforcement hobbled but did not completely undo the agency.—
Barbara Kates-Garnick,
The Conversation,
26 Aug. 2025
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The good news is that GPT-5 will presumably be somewhat less than gushingly friendly, though the lessening might be variable and of a mixed result.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Diminishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diminishing. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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