as in diminished
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1
as in reduced
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
we lessened our efforts as it became clear they weren't having an effect
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the pain should begin to lessen within minutes of taking the medication
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weakened
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 lessened
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Mitigators work in the other direction, articulating a spectrum of factors that might support lessened punishment, such as the defendant having no prior criminal record, or acting under significant duress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
After taking a lessened role in 2025, Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, per multiple reports.
—Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
An overloaded dryer leads to lessened airflow and, therefore, extended dry time.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2025
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
But the flooding would be less powerful than at the old site, Wing said, and its impact could be lessened by elevating the hospital or building earthen embankments.
—Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The automobile lessened our reliance on the horse.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
The Mavericks lessened their PR woes with last November’s firing of Harrison.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
In that case, the enthusiasm with which one applauds may be emphatically lessened.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Additional data shows that the lack of in person connection is quickly becoming a relationship crisis, with 78% of Bumble users sharing that anxiety and stress to present themselves as perfect lead to hopelessness in finding someone, which in turn has lessened the rates of offline relationships.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The weather service says this band of precipitation would be lessened by the ice on Lake Erie, but not eliminated.
—Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
The end of Invest in Kids didn’t mean that demand for alternatives lessened.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Kuminga then saw a combination of injuries and uneven performances lead to lessened playing time before eventually falling out of the rotation altogether.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Mitigators work in the other direction, articulating a spectrum of factors that might support lessened punishment, such as the defendant having no prior criminal record, or acting under significant duress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
After taking a lessened role in 2025, Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, per multiple reports.
—Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
An overloaded dryer leads to lessened airflow and, therefore, extended dry time.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
Redistricting and the rise in safe House seats, though, has lessened the likelihood of wave elections that would bring huge swings toward one party or the other.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
But the flooding would be less powerful than at the old site, Wing said, and its impact could be lessened by elevating the hospital or building earthen embankments.
—Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The automobile lessened our reliance on the horse.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
The Mavericks lessened their PR woes with last November’s firing of Harrison.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
In that case, the enthusiasm with which one applauds may be emphatically lessened.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Additional data shows that the lack of in person connection is quickly becoming a relationship crisis, with 78% of Bumble users sharing that anxiety and stress to present themselves as perfect lead to hopelessness in finding someone, which in turn has lessened the rates of offline relationships.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The weather service says this band of precipitation would be lessened by the ice on Lake Erie, but not eliminated.
—Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
The end of Invest in Kids didn’t mean that demand for alternatives lessened.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessened
Verb
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As Russia reduced flows, prices spiked, pushing up energy bills and helping fuel a cost of living crisis.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Ultimately, the report states, about 1% of the district’s more than 83,000 employees are likely to lose a job or have their pay reduced.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Our infrastructure has failed to meet the demands of rapid expansion, as evidenced by the 12-year neglect of Eastland, which resulted in job losses and decreased tax revenue.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Feb. 2026
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With regard to housing, incentives can be made available, lot sizes decreased, and alternative approaches are plentiful.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Mutawa, as the religious police are known, had their powers significantly weakened in 2016.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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Well, he's weakened the regulations on clean cars.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In Stoddart’s estimation, the best way to freeze these semi-consumed cakes is in slices.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Wollenzien also points to the growing anxiety among professional artists about job security, as more than two-thirds of workers in creative industries believe that AI has diminished their employability in workplaces.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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That diminished view of the Democratic Party in the AP-NORC polling is consistent regardless of Democrats’ age, race, ideology or educational background — suggesting that appealing to a specific group or two won’t fix the problem.—
Linley Sanders,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors argue that Colin Gray was aware that his son's mental health had deteriorated in the weeks before the shooting, but still gave the teen the assault-style weapon as a Christmas gift and purchased a laser sight, tactical vest, and ammunition for him.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
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But the brands’ sales have deteriorated further since the split was announced, making a spinoff less appealing to investors.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Heavy industrial water use—such as by data centers—should be throttled through taxation to fund desalinated water for refilling depleted aquifers.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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The department’s depleted police ranks had dropped from 920 officers in 2019 to an abysmal 560 in 2024.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For now, however, the discontent from TikTok’s American users that marred its first few weeks under new ownership seems to have largely subsided.—
Matthew Chin,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
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While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lessened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessened. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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