1
as in reduces
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 decreases
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 degrades
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 lessens
Enlisting kids in home tasks helps teach them valuable life skills and also lessens the load on parents.
—
Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Syndicating the bridge commitments to a larger group of banks lessens the exposure of the deal’s three primary lenders Citibank, Bank of America and Apollo.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
When hands move or are engaged, the tremor often lessens.
—Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 24 Mar. 2026
Heavy trapping lessens the odds of teaching rodents to be trap shy.
—Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Five minutes of straight planking probably sounds intense, but this routine incorporates a different variation every 30 seconds, which lessens the intimidation factor and also gives certain muscles a breather while others take on more work.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026
This decrease, in turn, lessens the force responsible for fibrosis, a buildup of scar tissue that harms organs.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Schneider is only 24, which lessens the urgency felt with a veteran such as Trocheck.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Anything that lessens the steep sticker price of IVF is a big win, Brian Levine, MD, founding partner and practice director of CCRM Fertility of New York, tells SELF.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 9 Mar. 2026
Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Syndicating the bridge commitments to a larger group of banks lessens the exposure of the deal’s three primary lenders Citibank, Bank of America and Apollo.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
When hands move or are engaged, the tremor often lessens.
—Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 24 Mar. 2026
Heavy trapping lessens the odds of teaching rodents to be trap shy.
—Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Five minutes of straight planking probably sounds intense, but this routine incorporates a different variation every 30 seconds, which lessens the intimidation factor and also gives certain muscles a breather while others take on more work.
—Jenny McCoy, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026
This decrease, in turn, lessens the force responsible for fibrosis, a buildup of scar tissue that harms organs.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Schneider is only 24, which lessens the urgency felt with a veteran such as Trocheck.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Anything that lessens the steep sticker price of IVF is a big win, Brian Levine, MD, founding partner and practice director of CCRM Fertility of New York, tells SELF.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessens
Verb
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This ceiling reduces the effective tax benefit from 37% to 35%.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
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This approach reduces the chance of a single point of failure bringing down an entire system and ensures appropriate AI boundaries that keep human intelligence at the center of business decisions that matter.—
Anita Beveridge-Raffo,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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By April and May, the shelf life decreases.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
20 Apr. 2026
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When timelines stretch over years, transaction certainty decreases, project economics weaken, and securing financing becomes more difficult.—
Dan Romito,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Constantly using more fertilizer than crops require degrades the soil’s natural microbiome, making soil less productive over time, which requires farmers to use more fertilizer to compensate.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
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When asked to comment, Apple pointed to previous statements, saying that the DMA discourages innovation, weakens privacy protections, delays or degrades product launches and increases security risks.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2026
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But as the season progresses, that outlet diminishes.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The exit of thousands of DOJ lawyers weakens law enforcement for many years to come, former DOJ lawyers told USA TODAY.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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Abbott contends the policy weakens statewide coordination with federal authorities.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fundamental advantages remain Analysts, however, remain cautiously optimistic if the conflict subsides within weeks.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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As the furor over the October 7th attack and the Gaza war subsides, such gatherings have become easier to organize, several Beth El members told me.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Her condition rapidly deteriorates to the point where Abbott and Robby are forced to do a C-Section in the ER, with seconds to spare to save her life and the life of the baby.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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Originally staged at Avignon in 2025, the play follows a father and daughter whose bond is tested across the vastness of space as one of them starts a new life on Mars while Earth deteriorates.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dozens of patrons show up at Tsarouhas’ restaurant at all hours — particularly at the crack of dawn — to enjoy patsa as many say the soup eases the stomach after a night of heavy drinking.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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For him, the oxygen eases the pain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lessens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessens. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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