1
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
we lessened our efforts as it became clear they weren't having an effect
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the pain should begin to lessen within minutes of taking the medication
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to degrade
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
blatant hypocrisy that lessened him in the eyes of the voters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lessen
Reducing the leaf size lessens the pressure on the plant to support the leafy growth.
—
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
Production by any or all of these players will lessen the focus on Smith, who is a more expendable piece of the 26-man roster than any of them.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Lifestyle modifications: Getting enough sleep, working on stress management techniques, eating a balanced diet and, as previously mentioned, exercising, have all been shown to lessen anxiety symptoms.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Here are some additional tips to help prevent and lessen UTI frequency:23
Take medications as prescribed: Even if symptoms go away, always complete your entire course of antibiotics to ensure the infection is fully cleared.
—Devineé Lingo, M.s., Health, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lessen
Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
Production by any or all of these players will lessen the focus on Smith, who is a more expendable piece of the 26-man roster than any of them.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Lifestyle modifications: Getting enough sleep, working on stress management techniques, eating a balanced diet and, as previously mentioned, exercising, have all been shown to lessen anxiety symptoms.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Here are some additional tips to help prevent and lessen UTI frequency:23
Take medications as prescribed: Even if symptoms go away, always complete your entire course of antibiotics to ensure the infection is fully cleared.
—Devineé Lingo, M.s., Health, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lessen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessen
Verb
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Not having injured Jalen Suggs, their most disruptive perimeter defender, reduces their volume of transition scoring opportunities.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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Keeping yourself hydrated and reducing your salt intake may also help reduce bloating and help your body rid itself of excess fluid. Types of Creatine Several types of creatine are used in supplements.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
21 Apr. 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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There has been a decreasing number of swing districts, only a few dozen now.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Yields usually fall when fear is dominating markets, but their surprising earlier rise stirred fears that Trump’s trade war was degrading the U.S. bond market’s status as one of the world’s safest places to keep cash.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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Unlike many other archaeological sites in Sweden, where acidic soil degrades organic material, Strandvägen’s conditions have allowed organic material to survive for many years, as Gummesson tells the publication.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, a more constrained and domestically focused healthcare agenda is likely to diminish trust in federal health agencies, limit access to culturally competent care and produce a loss of global leadership in health innovation.—
Robert Pearl,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Whereas a decline in home values diminishes the equity investors might hold in their properties, which limits their ability to leverage assets for additional investments or refinancing opportunities.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.—
Jim Pauley,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But much of that has subsided now; the Steelers, after all, don’t have a second-round pick and trading up could be out of the question as a result.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2025
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While immediate inflation concerns have subsided, the current administration's aggressive tariff and immigration policies are creating new economic anxieties that could lead to future instability.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That volume is masking deteriorating demand from key sectors - particularly domestic manufacturing, which drives more than 60% of big rig ton miles, and ocean imports.—
Lisa Baertlein,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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The setting of the urban scenes was crafted by dressing up these Welsh locations to mimic a deteriorating American metropolis, Screen Rant reported.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The plain and active meaning of the word cannot be diluted by its constriction, as the government would have it, to a narrow term of art.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
18 Apr. 2025
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This approach dilutes your unique value proposition and distracts from your primary purpose.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lessen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessen. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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