1
as in to facilitate
to free from obstruction or difficulty
measures intended to ease the flow of traffic during rush hour
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2
as in to loosen
to make less taut
the rock climber eased the rope a little so that his fellow climber had room to maneuver
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3
as in to alleviate
to make more bearable or less severe
grandmother's firm belief that there are few ailments that chicken soup won't ease
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4
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
the chairman of the Federal Reserve has promised to ease interest rates
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5
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
new investments in the region have eased since the rise in interest rates
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1
as in relief
reduction of or freedom from pain
the sunburn medication brought me instant ease
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2
as in abandon
carefree freedom from constraint
a gymnast who can handle even the most demanding moves on the parallel bars with total ease
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3
as in rest
freedom from activity or labor
the dream of every lottery player is a life of fabulous luxury and everlasting ease
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ease
Lindsay Curtis, Health, 27 Apr. 2025
The coaches eased him back in with 11:31 five-on-five minutes.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Analysis Becoming more at ease with the criticism could be a positive step for Meghan as hostile reactions to her work are now baked in on both sides of the Atlantic.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ease
Verb
Techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness may help ease anxiety and swallowing problems.
—Lindsay Curtis, Health, 27 Apr. 2025
The coaches eased him back in with 11:31 five-on-five minutes.
—Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
And here’s a big one: central banks have been huge gold buyers recently, but if inflation cools or geopolitical tensions ease, that demand could dry up.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Analysis Becoming more at ease with the criticism could be a positive step for Meghan as hostile reactions to her work are now baked in on both sides of the Atlantic.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ease
Verb
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Regular stretching can help ease muscle and joint soreness and tension and facilitate tissue repair.8 Reduces stiffness and increases range of motion: Morning stiffness can lead to a reduced range of motion (how far a joint moves in various directions).—
Lana Barhum,
Verywell Health,
25 Apr. 2025
-
In effect, the protocol seems to merely facilitate ICE arrests in a manner that is quiet and least disruptive to us.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slashed crash reporting requirements and loosened safety requirements for test vehicles, giving the auto industry more room to experiment, though whether that's at the expense of public safety remains to be seen.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
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For the first time this series, the Avalanche were scrambling, loosening up offensively, which invariably loosened things up defensively.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The result is often a child who takes on too much responsibility, sacrificing their own childhood to help alleviate the stress their parent is experiencing.—
Lia Miller,
Parents,
1 May 2025
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Starbucks is also using new technology to alleviate staffing bottlenecks and speed pickup times for mobile orders.—
Kevin Williams,
Quartz,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Answer: Your withdrawals from retirement plans won’t reduce your Social Security directly.—
Liz Weston,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
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The trial of estrogen alone also raised safety concerns, though both types of therapy reduced the risk of bone fractures.—
Jean Wactawski-Wende,
The Conversation,
2 May 2025
Verb
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The number of Jesuits globally has steadily decreased since the 1960s, when there were more than 36,000.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
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Winds will decrease Friday night before increasing again Saturday morning.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Civil Code 5501 gives boards an option of some relief from this requirement, and removing that option makes volunteer board service that much harder.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2025
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The risk to borrowers’ credit scores dates back to policy decisions made when former President Joe Biden's administration resumed federal student loan payments after a period of relief that had been enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Advertisement Advertisement Pope Francis believed in capitalism, but not the kind that exploits, extracts, and abandons.—
John Hope Bryant,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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And that has allowed American consumers to spend with relative abandon.—
Peter S. Goodman,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Yamamoto threw on five days’ rest 11 times in his first season in the majors, and will gradually reacclimate to that schedule as the Dodgers’ off days from April have dried up.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
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Florida advances now to face the winner of the Toronto-Ottawa series, with the Maple Leafs up 3-2 entering Game 6 Thursday, assuring the Panthers a bit of a rest edge.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ease. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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