1
as in decreasing
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 diminishing
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 weakening
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
1
as in reducing
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in depreciation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lessening
Barbara Kates-Garnick, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
The good news is that GPT-5 will presumably be somewhat less than gushingly friendly, though the lessening might be variable and of a mixed result.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Aman Kidwai, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Therefore, lessening the impact of food production on the planet while also making enough to feed the global population will take planning and a coordinated effort among nations, Hicks said.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Decentralization can reduce the risk of government mismanagement or overreach, lessening the likelihood of currency debasement and/or runaway inflation.
—Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Imagine wanting to see a play—ostensibly, in part, for the liveness of a play—but mistrusting your judgment enough to read a review first, thereby lessening your opportunity for surprise.
—Lauren Rothery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Patriots must be willing to make adjustments after Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Raiders, and one of those might be lessening Drake Maye’s workload.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Survey response rates for the BLS have been down since the pandemic, lessening the quality of Labor Department surveys, and while economists have complained about that trend, none have seriously questioned the agency’s methodologies or its execution of them.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 4 Sep. 2025
Like President Reagan, those pushing for democracy promotion equated political freedom with strengthening free markets and thereby lessening the attraction abroad to movements—including but not limited to communism—that aimed to redistribute resources to reduce economic inequality.
—Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Because McCarthy’s contract will increase in the next couple of seasons, lessening the amount the front office can spend elsewhere.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
While appearing radical at the time, the revamping of scientific boards to include more industry representatives, the undoing of power plant rules and the lessening of enforcement hobbled but did not completely undo the agency.
—Barbara Kates-Garnick, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
The good news is that GPT-5 will presumably be somewhat less than gushingly friendly, though the lessening might be variable and of a mixed result.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
In addition, the company uses technology to improve on-site employees' safety and efficiency, as well as lessening the physical strain of their roles.
—Aman Kidwai, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Therefore, lessening the impact of food production on the planet while also making enough to feed the global population will take planning and a coordinated effort among nations, Hicks said.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Decentralization can reduce the risk of government mismanagement or overreach, lessening the likelihood of currency debasement and/or runaway inflation.
—Alex Pron, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Imagine wanting to see a play—ostensibly, in part, for the liveness of a play—but mistrusting your judgment enough to read a review first, thereby lessening your opportunity for surprise.
—Lauren Rothery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
The Patriots must be willing to make adjustments after Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Raiders, and one of those might be lessening Drake Maye’s workload.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025
Survey response rates for the BLS have been down since the pandemic, lessening the quality of Labor Department surveys, and while economists have complained about that trend, none have seriously questioned the agency’s methodologies or its execution of them.
—Tobias Burns, The Hill, 4 Sep. 2025
Like President Reagan, those pushing for democracy promotion equated political freedom with strengthening free markets and thereby lessening the attraction abroad to movements—including but not limited to communism—that aimed to redistribute resources to reduce economic inequality.
—Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Because McCarthy’s contract will increase in the next couple of seasons, lessening the amount the front office can spend elsewhere.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessening
Verb
-
The findings have led to the development of potential medical treatments that scientists hope could cure autoimmune diseases, the committee said, as well as providing more effective cancer treatments and reducing complications after stem cell and organ transplants.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Research has shown the benefits of exercise in mitigating the effects of aging by increasing blood flow to the brain and reducing the risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women, behind lung cancer, although death rates have been decreasing over the last three decades.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The fabric was woven with regenerative cotton from Spain and dyed with Candiani’s Indigo Juice technology, which keeps the dye superficial on yarns, decreasing the energy, water, and chemicals consumption.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
If the economy is not weakening, but strengthening, the outlook for inflation could tilt higher.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Equal-weight consumer discretionary has been under a bit of pressure, with restaurant and travel names weakening, and is now clearly underperforming the broad market on a one-year basis.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Organizations with a poor data foundation see diminishing returns from technology investments, while those with superior data infrastructure experience accelerating returns.—
Tammy Hawes,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
According to a recent Bank of America Institute survey, lower-income families have experienced diminishing growth in after-tax earnings, with August marking the slowest rate since 2016.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
By leasing GPUs to OpenAI, rather than requiring them to buy the chips outright, Nvidia is sparing OpenAI from having to take an accounting charge for the high depreciation rates on the chips, which will ultimately help OpenAI’s bottom line.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Gross profit margins expanded by 130 basis points and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization tallied 45 million euros.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
From the Luddites smashing looms in 19th-century England to autoworkers walking out over the introduction of robots to the factory floor in the 1980s, resistance has flared before either being crushed or subsiding, giving way to the new economies and social orders the technologies ushered in.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
During the recent measles outbreak centered in Texas, the Pandemic Center’s data contradicted Kennedy’s assertions that the crisis was subsiding, Jennifer Nuzzo, the director of the Pandemic Center, told me.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Carbon capture challenges Hiegel explained that carbon capture remains hindered by high energy demands, poor flexibility with industrial loads, costly infrastructure requirements, and health and safety risks from degrading chemicals, all of which slow its adaptability.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
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Over time, these substances may infiltrate groundwater, creating serious long-term health concerns, degrading habitats, and endangering communities that rely on those resources.—
Michaela Rychetska,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Sometime early in the 21st century, Mom switched from vegetable shortening to butter.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In the fight against invasive species, this productivity boost is transformative, saving scientific teams critical time in the lab and shortening the time required to successfully implement solutions.—
Pam Marrone,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lessening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessening. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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