1
as in to expand
to make greater in size, amount, or number
we have to increase the number of season-ticket holders if the local sports franchise is to survive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to rise
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the number of Internet users increased exponentially during the 1990s
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in boost
something added (as by growth)
shortly after he turned 12, he had a sudden height increase
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accumulation
the act or process of becoming greater in number
the increase in the number of students enrolled at the school was very gradual
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 increase
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The storm's slow path forward increases the risks for record rainfall.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projects that the bottom 10% of American earners will lose roughly $1,200 a year in cuts to government programs like Medicaid and food assistance, while the top 10% will see their income increase by $13,600 from tax cuts.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for increase
Verb
On the other end of the spectrum, the platform just acquired distribution rights for a raft of Ringer podcasts, increasing the chances sports fans throw on Netflix rather than YouTube when looking for sports chatter without having to shell out for more exclusive game rights.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The storm's slow path forward increases the risks for record rainfall.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
Since June, the nonprofit has seen a 10% increase in the number of people seeking its mobile food distributions.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 26 Oct. 2025
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office projects that the bottom 10% of American earners will lose roughly $1,200 a year in cuts to government programs like Medicaid and food assistance, while the top 10% will see their income increase by $13,600 from tax cuts.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for increase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for increase
Verb
-
At the crux of those tensions are a gaping trade imbalance and efforts from the US to ensure its national security against an increasingly assertive China, including by expanding restrictions on China’s access to American high tech, like the advanced semiconductors needed to power AI.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Seeing as how the first tribe swap failed to shake anything up and gave us two more obvious telegraphed votes, the producers decided to blow it all up again and expand back to three tribes.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The number of foreign residents has risen sharply in recent years, reaching a record 3 percent of the population in 2024, as Tokyo cautiously loosened visa rules for workers in key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and caregiving.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
In that appearance, Thilly moonwalked across the floor and performed a backspin before using his allotted five minutes to complain about rising taxes, according to CBS News New York.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The boot features a black leather upper with a platform-style 2-inch heel, providing a height boost without compromising comfort, and a lug sole that’s suitable for icy terrain.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Both of those were fine, and Conclave got a boost from the camp potential of its Vatican intrigues, but this new movie suggests that Berger isn’t capable of rising above his source material or, in this case, even meeting it.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Snow accumulation should approach 2 feet near Crater Lake!—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
By engineering support layer architecture, thin-film nanocomposite membranes counteract internal concentration polarization and salt accumulation within the membrane’s porous structure, reducing the driving force for water flow.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Created in partnership with the bionic footwear and apparel brand Dephy, the next-gen design is engineered to augment natural lower-leg and ankle movement, providing extra power for everyday exercise.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Queen Camilla augmented her monochrome attire with sheer black tights and a pair of Eliot Zed black suede pumps with a leather toe cap.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The open-source project has been used by millions of scientists in more than 190 countries, accelerating research into diseases previously considered intractable.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Southern China’s tropical to subtropical climate – with heavy rainfall, heat, and humidity – accelerates chemical weathering, while the region’s long history of tectonic and magmatic activity adds further erosion.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
While the Hong Kong listing should enhance the company’s liquidity and visibility, Zephirin added that a valuation re-rating is unlikely without meaningful gains in capital efficiency or strategy execution.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Salesforce’s stock is down nearly 25% year-to-date, while competitors such as Microsoft (up 25%), Oracle (up 70%), and SAP (up 10%) have seen solid gains.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Trump’s lack of specifics on his new 10% Canada tariff raised key questions for Erica York, vice president of federal tax policy at the Tax Foundation.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Owsley Brown Frazier, a fourth-generation descendant of George Garvin Brown, alone raised more than $500 million in his lifetime.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Increase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/increase. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share