as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
the restaurant's chowder has been declared the state's best by no less a person than the governor himself
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of less
Megan Friedman, Country Living, 17 Nov. 2016
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
After less than 20 minutes, both coaches declared the game over.
—Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for less
Adjective
Get ready for a lot less facial hair on your television.
—Megan Friedman, Country Living, 17 Nov. 2016
Preposition
The result is a craft that moves more smoothly and uses less energy, even in challenging underwater conditions.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025
After less than 20 minutes, both coaches declared the game over.
—Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for less
Recent Examples of Synonyms for less
Adjective
-
Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.—
Lindsey Witmer Collins,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Staff Writer
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2024
-
Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Less.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/less. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
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