REDUCE Synonyms: 119 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'reduce' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reduce are abate , decrease , diminish , dwindle , and lessen . While all these words mean "to grow or make less," reduce implies a bringing down or lowering. // you must reduce your caloric intake

Q: When would 'abate' be a good substitute for 'reduce'?

The synonyms abate and reduce are sometimes interchangeable, but abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount. // the storm abated

Q: Where would 'decrease' be a reasonable alternative to 'reduce'?

The meanings of decrease and reduce largely overlap; however, decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity. // slowly decreased the amount of pressure

Q: When can 'diminish' be used instead of 'reduce'?

While the synonyms diminish and reduce are close in meaning, diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total. // his visual acuity has diminished

Q: In what contexts can 'dwindle' take the place of 'reduce'?

In some situations, the words dwindle and reduce are roughly equivalent. However, dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller. // their provisions dwindled slowly

Q: When is 'lessen' a more appropriate choice than 'reduce'?

The words lessen and reduce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number. // has been unable to lessen her debt

reduce

verb

ri-ˈdüs

Definition of reduce

as in to demote

to bring to a lower grade or rank was reduced from team captain to team member as punishment for his misbehavior on the court

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to decrease

to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent you'll have to reduce the amount of money you spend on unnecessary purchases if you want to have any money left for retirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to lower

to diminish the price or value of a mortgage crisis that reduced homes to their lowest level in a decade

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reduce differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reduce are abate, decrease, diminish, dwindle, and lessen. While all these words mean "to grow or make less," reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

When would abate be a good substitute for reduce?

The synonyms abate and reduce are sometimes interchangeable, but abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

Where would decrease be a reasonable alternative to reduce?

The meanings of decrease and reduce largely overlap; however, decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

When can diminish be used instead of reduce?

While the synonyms diminish and reduce are close in meaning, diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

In what contexts can dwindle take the place of reduce?

In some situations, the words dwindle and reduce are roughly equivalent. However, dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

When is lessen a more appropriate choice than reduce?

The words lessen and reduce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of reduce Data isn’t the plural of anecdote, but the developing literature points to cameras generally, and ALPRs specifically, having some crime-reducing benefit. — Rafael A. Mangual, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 The result is a recurring and relatively predictable revenue stream that reduces economic cyclicity. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 Also, reducing gas taxes only spurs demand without increasing supply, which can end up raising prices, said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reduce

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reduce

Verb

Andy Green spent all of Thursday night thinking about the time Jared Young was demoted from the Chicago Cubs to Triple-A on the final day of the minor league season.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
Another is that, with the United States entangled in Iran and busy managing Venezuela, Cuba has simply been demoted as a priority.

— Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of demote

Verb

The throuple moved into faculty housing, where Lakofski withered, depressed by life in a conventional apartment.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026
Growth in the world’s second-largest economy softened to its slowest in more than three years in the second quarter, as a multiyear property downturn continued to depress consumer demand and investment in real estate and infrastructure.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of depress

Verb

Germany's Constitutional Court ruled last year that the extradition was unlawful because it could not be guaranteed that the defendant would not be subject to inhumane or degrading treatment in Hungarian custody.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Moscow no longer hopes to win by merely capturing cities, or even by degrading Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

— Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of degrade

Verb

And as this line starts moving across the page, this black band starts getting thinner and thinner as Napoleon’s army is getting depleted.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 1 Oct. 2026
Your team can end up sitting at their desks depleted, unable to access creative thinking or emotional regulation.

— Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of deplete

Verb

The euro sank to its lowest level against the dollar since May 2025 over Spain’s snap elections added to mounting fiscal and political worries across the region.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
The extreme heat is driven by a persistent high pressure ridge that has parked over the region causing sinking warming air with very little overnight relief.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of sink

Verb

When every decision requires multiple levels of authorization, ownership naturally diminishes.

— Guy Yehiav, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
And where does the water come from for these 10 new cities as the West scrambles for what’s left of diminishing supplies?

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of diminish

Browse Nearby Words

red stars

reduce

reduced

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“Reduce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reduce. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of reduce

verb

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