as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
the restaurant's chowder has been declared the state's best by no less a person than the governor himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wanting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of less
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The New York investigation comes less than a week after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services halted Medicaid payments to Minnesota over fraud concerns.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Mar. 2026
Megan Friedman, Country Living, 17 Nov. 2016
See All Example Sentences for less
Adjective
Coal accounts for less than two-hundredths of gross domestic product.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The New York investigation comes less than a week after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services halted Medicaid payments to Minnesota over fraud concerns.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Mar. 2026
Preposition
Get ready for a lot less facial hair on your television.
—Megan Friedman, Country Living, 17 Nov. 2016
See All Example Sentences for less
Recent Examples of Synonyms for less
Adjective
-
Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.—
Lindsey Witmer Collins,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Staff Writer
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2023
Preposition
-
With a slew of direct-to-consumer companies offering sofas minus the middle man, and big-box retailers shilling flat-pack options at a fair price point, there are a bunch of budget-friendly options at your disposal.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
3 Mar. 2026
-
At night, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around minus 10.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2024
-
Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Preposition
-
At Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, face masks are required in public areas, except when dining or swimming, capacity of public areas will be limited, and housekeeping and public area attendants will increase their cleaning procedures.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
4 June 2020
-
The city advised all residents to stay inside except those going to and from work and anyone seeking or giving emergency care, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti's official Twitter account.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
1 June 2020
Cite this Entry
“Less.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/less. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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