1
as in reducing
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2
as in depreciation
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1
as in decreasing
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent
we lessened our efforts as it became clear they weren't having an effect
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in diminishing
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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3
as in weakening
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
blatant hypocrisy that lessened him in the eyes of the voters
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lessening
Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
While appearing radical at the time, the revamping of scientific boards to include more industry representatives, the undoing of power plant rules and the lessening of enforcement hobbled but did not completely undo the agency.
—Barbara Kates-Garnick, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
The good news is that GPT-5 will presumably be somewhat less than gushingly friendly, though the lessening might be variable and of a mixed result.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Justin Zacks, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Comeaux also noted that a separate $10 million grant is set to be used for technology aimed at lessening the threat posed by drones.
—Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 1 June 2026
The vaccine is 80% effective at preventing illness and highly effective in lessening symptoms.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
Teams are checking the temperature of the tank every 30 minutes, hoping to confirm a downward trend that would indicate risk is lessening.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 May 2026
In addition to impacting white-collar jobs, AI is also shedding the need for some entry-level roles, according to an analysis from McKinsey, which said 51% of organizations reported in a 2025 survey that generative AI was lessening their need for entry-level jobs.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
The underlying bill is meant to ease the housing affordability crunch by lessening some government regulations on housing and incentivizing state and local governments to ease land-use regulations.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 12 May 2026
In the short term, maintaining regular, soft bowel movements can help relieve straining (more on this next), lessening symptoms such as pain, itching, and bleeding from inflamed veins.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 30 Apr. 2026
By keeping more skin connected to the deeper tissues—and yielding smaller skin flaps in the face and neck—the technique aims to minimize space for fluid to settle, lessening not only post-op complications, but also bruising, swelling, and trauma to the skin.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
Tehran blames the foreign ministry of Lebanon, particularly foreign minister Youssef Raggi, for the ‘lessening of solidarity with Iran.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
While appearing radical at the time, the revamping of scientific boards to include more industry representatives, the undoing of power plant rules and the lessening of enforcement hobbled but did not completely undo the agency.
—Barbara Kates-Garnick, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025
The good news is that GPT-5 will presumably be somewhat less than gushingly friendly, though the lessening might be variable and of a mixed result.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
The drug is designed to rapidly block platelets from clumping and restricting blood flow, lessening the adverse outcomes of a heart attack.
—Justin Zacks, CNBC, 4 June 2026
Comeaux also noted that a separate $10 million grant is set to be used for technology aimed at lessening the threat posed by drones.
—Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 1 June 2026
The vaccine is 80% effective at preventing illness and highly effective in lessening symptoms.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026
Teams are checking the temperature of the tank every 30 minutes, hoping to confirm a downward trend that would indicate risk is lessening.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 May 2026
In addition to impacting white-collar jobs, AI is also shedding the need for some entry-level roles, according to an analysis from McKinsey, which said 51% of organizations reported in a 2025 survey that generative AI was lessening their need for entry-level jobs.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
The underlying bill is meant to ease the housing affordability crunch by lessening some government regulations on housing and incentivizing state and local governments to ease land-use regulations.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 12 May 2026
In the short term, maintaining regular, soft bowel movements can help relieve straining (more on this next), lessening symptoms such as pain, itching, and bleeding from inflamed veins.
—Sarah Garone, Health, 30 Apr. 2026
By keeping more skin connected to the deeper tissues—and yielding smaller skin flaps in the face and neck—the technique aims to minimize space for fluid to settle, lessening not only post-op complications, but also bruising, swelling, and trauma to the skin.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessening
Noun
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The long answer is that Estée Lauder’s Diamond Moisturizer is hydrating (as all moisturizers should be), firming, tightening, wrinkle-reducing, age spot-fading, and texture-smoothing.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Moisturizing, soothing, and redness reducing, Erborian’s CC Cream is the ultimate cult-favorite beauty product.—
Beatrice Zocchi,
Vogue,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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When asset growth exceeds earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) growth, stock returns tend to be negatively affected.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
-
Bank Indonesia highlighted that the depreciation of the rupiah was also driven by foreign portfolio investment outflows.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Others primarily improve quality of life, extend survival or delay complications without necessarily decreasing total lifetime healthcare expenditures.—
Jeffrey Wessler,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Orbán hopes the Patriots for Europe will be a vehicle for transforming the EU to his vision, for example, by decreasing the bloc’s purview in matters of rule of law and democracy, taking a zero-tolerance approach to immigration and steering toward deeper cooperation with Russia and China.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
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The delay also would push the removal into the middle of the night, diminishing the audience watching the event in person or on TV.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
12 June 2026
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Once the scene resurfaced online some ten years later, internet users leveraged the phrase as a way to distinguish those who were musically superior (who had the range) and those who were not, diminishing them regardless of their popularity.—
Dr. Marcus Collins,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Yet the extremist group has mobilized its members and media outlets to ramp up criticism of the agreement, heaping pressure on Iranian negotiators who have been attempting to extract concessions from a US administration intent on weakening – and possibly ending – the Islamic Republic.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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After reaching record levels in the 1990s and 2000s, deforestation declined until the 2019-2022 term of then President Jair Bolsonaro, whose government was widely criticized for weakening environmental protections.—
Gabriela Sa Pessoa,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Cut in butter or shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal.—
Kelly Brant,
Arkansas Online,
16 June 2026
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These defects propagate through the device layers, degrading electron mobility, increasing leakage current, and shortening device reliability lifetimes.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Even when those withdrawals are planned, seeing balances decrease can feel unsettling.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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There are contact tracing efforts in place, but Congo reported a decrease in reporting coverage last week due to the expansion of the outbreak into new areas, and to community resistance.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
Verb
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If your garden is anything like mine, your poppies have petered out and your sages are subsiding.—
Pedro Moura,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Breezy winds return on Tuesday after subsiding somewhat on Monday.—
Rachael Jay,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lessening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessening. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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