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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
Congress should invest in technology, innovation and infrastructure that reduces wildfire risk, protects water supply and develops cleaner energy that works for California families.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Also, reusing local rubble reduces the carbon emissions from transporting heavy sand and gravel across long distances.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even with the preserving power of the freezer, the baking powder in self-rising flour degrades faster than the flour itself.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
11 May 2026
-
Also, avoid rubbing the scent onto your skin, as this degrades the fragrance.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
If the College Football Playoff expands, the urgency of the regular season diminishes by comparison, and in a sport that had, inarguably, the greatest regular season in sports, that's a huge blow.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Art thrives on openness, and any narrowing of that space diminishes it.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
7 May 2026
Verb
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But the weakening of that regime weakens the proxies as well.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
-
Jeff Marks, director of portfolio analysis for the Club, said the report weakens the case for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts because the labor market remains stable.—
Alexa LoMonaco,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
In fact, transparency mode eventually turns itself off until the wind subsides.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
-
To better determine the value of locking in a mortgage rate now – or waiting until this current volatility subsides – borrowers need to start with an understanding of where mortgage rates stand right now, as of May 8, 2026.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Hospitals use the same billing codes for the ER visit, whether a patient’s condition deteriorates or not.—
Andrew Jones,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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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
Verb
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Once the performers appear, slinking in from the sides of the stage, the show firmly takes shape and eases smoothly from one episode from the Gospels to the next.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
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Steam thins mucus and eases congestion, per the same PMC/NIH trial.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lessens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessens. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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