1
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
2
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
3
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reduce
The lawsuit is part of Rokita’s broader effort to reduce healthcare costs for Hoosiers, the news release states.
—
Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 9 Feb. 2026
And while the 30-year refinance rate may only be applicable to a small number of current homeowners, the 15-year option can be worth exploring for those who have minimal home balances or want to reduce their payoff timeline.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Studies confirm that having children still overwhelmingly reduces a woman’s earning power.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Cape Weligama also works hard to reduce plastic, source local food, and improve waste management, which has included establishing plastic waste collection points along the coast.
—Harriet Compston, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reduce
Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 9 Feb. 2026
And while the 30-year refinance rate may only be applicable to a small number of current homeowners, the 15-year option can be worth exploring for those who have minimal home balances or want to reduce their payoff timeline.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Studies confirm that having children still overwhelmingly reduces a woman’s earning power.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Cape Weligama also works hard to reduce plastic, source local food, and improve waste management, which has included establishing plastic waste collection points along the coast.
—Harriet Compston, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reduce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reduce
Verb
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Bovino was demoted last month, two days after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Jan 24.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has censured Kelly for participating in the video and is trying to retroactively demote Kelly from his retired rank of captain.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Cappelli’s view, decreasing rent and higher vacancy rates for affordable housing are signs that Denver is on the right track in helping renters.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
6 Feb. 2026
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The news landed like a five-alarm fire for Hollywood workers and their representatives, who have already been battered in recent years by the outsourcing of production work, the 2023 labor strikes and studios’ and streamers’ push to decrease spending.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cold storage facilities have long struggled to automate inventory management due to frost, airflow, condensation, and glare, all of which degrade conventional sensors and scanning systems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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To degrade what's left of Iran's nuclear program and missile-making capacity?—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Chung Hyeon, the 2018 Australian Open semifinalist who saw Achilles and back injuries derail his career, and Kwon Soon-woo, whose ranking has been depressed by military service that prohibits his playing outside South Korea, stunning Argentina.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Instead what followed was the slow disintegration of a championship core, an inability to reclimb the mountain and the slow, depressing slide into lamenting what could have been.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Canadians are a game behind after their tournament opener against Finland was postponed after the Finnish roster was depleted by a stomach virus.—
John Wawrow,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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And as a result, this critical infrastructure project was frozen during that shutdown in which the entirety of the federal government was depleted of funds.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps, on extremely long timescales, those heavier elements will sink to the center of the core, producing an inert center that slows the rate of fusion even further.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
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Shares of chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) on Wednesday sank 17% and had their worst day since 2017 after the company forecast slightly less revenue in the first quarter than analysts had expected.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In addition, the measure would have significant negative economic impact on the Northern Colorado region, potentially diminish cherished and time-honored campus traditions, and erode the public safety infrastructure the campus has put in place to support students and the broader community.—
Dillon Thomas,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Facial hair prevents the mask from properly sealing to your face, diminishing its guarantee of protection.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During these years, some vaccines used an inactive virus, which was not as effective as the current vaccine, which is a live, attenuated (weakened) type.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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As Science Alert points out, light also attenuates and degrades over long distances.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reduce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reduce. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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