1
as in to reduce
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
workers decreased the volume of water flowing through the pipes in order to prevent an overflow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to diminish
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the force of the wind slowly decreased until the flowers were standing upright again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reduction
the amount by which something is lessened
the average decrease in the price of milk was five cents per gallon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decrease
Marcus Dorsey, Idaho Statesman, 20 Mar. 2025
The first officer, who was flying the plane, pulled back the thrust levers to decrease engine thrust.
—Sam Sweeney, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2025
Sarah Varney, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2025
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported the program resulted in a 20% decrease in gambling activities after just a single school year.
—Adam Hudacek, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decrease
Verb
Density in Ten Mile area guided by plan Members of the City Council and the Planning and Zoning commission were largely supportive of Conger Group’s request to decrease the project’s density, noting their preference for single-family development in Feb. 6 and March 4 hearings.
—Marcus Dorsey, Idaho Statesman, 20 Mar. 2025
The first officer, who was flying the plane, pulled back the thrust levers to decrease engine thrust.
—Sam Sweeney, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
Teen births drop sharply While the national decline in teen births has been hailed by public health officials, that decrease has not been uniform across all states, according to federal data.
—Sarah Varney, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2025
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported the program resulted in a 20% decrease in gambling activities after just a single school year.
—Adam Hudacek, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decrease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decrease
Verb
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Standardization can also reduce due diligence burdens.—
The Sorenson Impact Institute,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Higher temperatures may also reduce the sugar content of maple sap, meaning producers will need to collect and boil more sap to produce the same quantities of syrup.—
Nina Foster,
JSTOR Daily,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Mar. 2025
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Overcoming The Fear Of Letting Go One of the biggest reasons leaders avoid delegating is fear that the work will not be done right, mistakes will happen or their value will be diminished.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The staff reductions are the first step in shutting down the 46-year-old agency, McMahon has said.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
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All of those staffers were laid off in the recent federal workforce reductions.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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On the other hand, disorganized or opaque responses can damage reputations long after the crisis subsides.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Although many around the world have been cutting interest rates to fuel growth after the inflation crisis has subsided, the OECD believes the inflation that tariffs will reignite means central banks will have to keep rates higher for longer, causing prolonged pain for businesses and consumers.—
David Goldman,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Related Articles Domestic manufacturers added 10,000 jobs last month, despite a 1,200-person decline at apparel factories.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
27 Mar. 2025
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Print stayed mostly flat at $3.04 billion, with a 1% gain in ad revenue but a 1% decline in subscriptions.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Still, relative humidity values are expected to fall below 25 percent outside of the mountains and around 25 percent in the mountain valleys, with higher values in the higher elevations.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Mar. 2025
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At the same time, the idea of a groundshare with Merseyside rivals Everton was mooted, but with both sets of supporters against the proposal, this fell flat.—
Tom Burrows,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Chargers looked past Quentin Johnston’s 13 career drops at TCU and took him in the first round.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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That could be in the range of the biggest drop in sales in the company’s history, nearly twice the drop during the early months of the pandemic, when factories and showrooms were closed due to stay-at-home orders.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Officials have repeatedly hinted at its plan of further rate easing this year but have not yet followed through.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
21 Mar. 2025
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Automation offers relief by assisting with tasks like weapon screening, easing staff burdens and speeding operations.—
Chris Ciabarra,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decrease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decrease. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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