as in diminished
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in reduced
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
we lessened our efforts as it became clear they weren't having an effect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decreased
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the pain should begin to lessen within minutes of taking the medication
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weakened
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
blatant hypocrisy that lessened him in the eyes of the voters
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lessened
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Mitigators work in the other direction, articulating a spectrum of factors that might support lessened punishment, such as the defendant having no prior criminal record, or acting under significant duress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
After taking a lessened role in 2025, Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, per multiple reports.
—Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
An overloaded dryer leads to lessened airflow and, therefore, extended dry time.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2025
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 12 June 2026
However, these protections can be lessened when exempt funds are mixed with non-exempt money.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Late Monday, officials allowed 65% of evacuees to return home, saying the threat of a catastrophic blast from the overheated container at GKN Aerospace had lessened.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 26 May 2026
His anxieties about other issues have lessened but this is as strong as ever.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
During these 10 years, the logical assumption is that children born in this era would have grown up in a time where Japanese anime was under more scrutiny and lessened in popularity.
—Kalai Chik, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
His workload lessened after that, especially with travel taking a toll.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
At the same time, the company’s lofty talk of space exploration beyond the moon, especially of Mars, has notably lessened.
—Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
Democrats said one of the biggest benefits is that tax increases will likely be lessened in many cities and towns because of the additional funding that the municipalities will receive.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
Adjective
Kuminga then saw a combination of injuries and uneven performances lead to lessened playing time before eventually falling out of the rotation altogether.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Mitigators work in the other direction, articulating a spectrum of factors that might support lessened punishment, such as the defendant having no prior criminal record, or acting under significant duress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
After taking a lessened role in 2025, Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, per multiple reports.
—Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
An overloaded dryer leads to lessened airflow and, therefore, extended dry time.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
But having agreed a 12-month extension for Schar — the 34-year-old has accepted a reduced salary and is willing to take on more of a backup role, having missed the second half of 2025-26 due to injury — the need to acquire a promising defender has lessened.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 12 June 2026
However, these protections can be lessened when exempt funds are mixed with non-exempt money.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Late Monday, officials allowed 65% of evacuees to return home, saying the threat of a catastrophic blast from the overheated container at GKN Aerospace had lessened.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 26 May 2026
His anxieties about other issues have lessened but this is as strong as ever.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
During these 10 years, the logical assumption is that children born in this era would have grown up in a time where Japanese anime was under more scrutiny and lessened in popularity.
—Kalai Chik, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
His workload lessened after that, especially with travel taking a toll.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
At the same time, the company’s lofty talk of space exploration beyond the moon, especially of Mars, has notably lessened.
—Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
Democrats said one of the biggest benefits is that tax increases will likely be lessened in many cities and towns because of the additional funding that the municipalities will receive.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessened
Adjective
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The 52-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne, was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in 2018, a chronic disease that causes scarring in the lungs and leads to a reduced oxygen uptake.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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The plan depends on drug companies sending Canada extra at reduced prices, rather than at the prices charged in the US.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Crime in the 21207 zip code area has decreased within the last year, according to data from the Baltimore County Public Safety Data Dashboard.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
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Parents should quickly seek medical care for an infant who has difficulty swallowing, poor feeding, loss of head control or decreased facial expression, the CDC said.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Verb
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But Kesselring’s role was further diminished when Buffalo acquired defensemen Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline in March.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
-
Since then, our evenings have been brighter and our melatonin diminished.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
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At the same time, his ability in recent months to command functioning majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives has weakened considerably.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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The study finds that auto-renewal generated higher revenue in the medium term, but the advantage weakened as the subscriber count and engagement picture deteriorated.—
HEC Paris Insights,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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In Stoddart’s estimation, the best way to freeze these semi-consumed cakes is in slices.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Yet while the pace of inflation subsided, bringing Social Security cost-of-living adjustments down in subsequent years, consumer prices have mostly stayed higher.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
-
Indeed, the uproar has subsided considerably.—
Wesley Morris,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
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The bureau said in May that her condition had deteriorated and medical devices and medications were supporting her lung and kidney functions, AFP reported.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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Prices have steadily climbed as the cattle herd shrank to its lowest levels in 75 years, while the prospects for rebuilding supplies have deteriorated in recent weeks.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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This squishy honor of a marshmallow doesn’t even require devouring it—the indicator that psychologists took as the signal of its depleted future life.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
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In aged mouse stem cells, the lysosomes had become hyperacidic, damaged, depleted and abnormally active.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lessened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessened. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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