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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb diminish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of diminish are abate, decrease, dwindle, lessen, and reduce. While all these words mean "to grow or make less," diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

When is abate a more appropriate choice than diminish?

In some situations, the words abate and diminish are roughly equivalent. However, abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

When would decrease be a good substitute for diminish?

While the synonyms decrease and diminish are close in meaning, decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

Where would dwindle be a reasonable alternative to diminish?

The meanings of dwindle and diminish largely overlap; however, dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

In what contexts can lessen take the place of diminish?

While in some cases nearly identical to diminish, lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

When could reduce be used to replace diminish?

The synonyms reduce and diminish are sometimes interchangeable, but reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

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 diminish In an on-demand, streaming world, though, its lineup of long-tail movies like Dolphin Tale, Spy Kids or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice have diminishing value for distributors. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 June 2025 Even if the price is good, a deal on a product that goes on sale all the time diminishes the overall quality of that deal. Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 12 June 2025 Without treatment from Oumou, a child’s chance of leading a successful life is severely diminished. Angela Weaver, Baltimore Sun, 12 June 2025 Miyazaki being pushed to the forefront, mostly due to the way audiences respond to his movies, risks diminishing the work of everyone else at the studio. Ryan Gaur, IndieWire, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for diminish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diminish
Verb
  • Here are tips on how to stay safe during a thunderstorm: To minimize risk of being struck by lightning, when going outside, have a plan to get to a safer place.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 June 2025
  • Water deeply early in the day and avoid overhead watering to allow foliage to dry before nightfall to minimize fungal diseases.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • Only a system designed with these principles can truly protect your organization, reduce losses and maintain trust with your honest customers.
    Marcin Nowak, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • All evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The three main causes of hydroplaning are: Vehicle speed - When a vehicle's speed increases, the tire-traction grip and ability to control the vehicle decreases.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 June 2025
  • Several people are still unaccounted for, but the number of missing people has slowly decreased, a San Antonio Fire Department spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 14 June 2025
Verb
  • Kiser's attorneys also filed a notice to dismiss some agencies from the lawsuit, and the court sealed a declaration Kiser wrote about this case.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 18 June 2025
  • Operation Ajax, a joint CIA-British operation, convinced the Shah of Iran, the country’s monarch, to dismiss Mossadegh and drive him from office by force.
    Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Yet, the excitement quickly subsided—shares fell 1.18% in after-hours trading to $178.84 following a mixed Q1 earnings report that exceeded EPS expectations but fell short on sales forecasts.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • The rain had stopped and much of the floodwater was subsiding.
    Gerald Imray, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • That provision alarmed Democratic lawmakers at a time when public districts large and small are seeing their enrollments decline as more Florida families choose charters, private schools or homeschool options.
    Kate Payne, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2025
  • Iran's missile launches have declined, though officials have not explained.
    Amanda Castro Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Diminish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diminish. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

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