1
as in reducing
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2
as in depreciation
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Dissimilar Words
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
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
Jolene Edgar, Allure, 16 Mar. 2026
The vision is expected to begin with further strengthening downtown Hartford and lessening its dependency on office workers for vibrancy.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
This will prioritize safety and reliability, while lessening emissions for local communities.
—Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Song update The Padres are encouraged that Sung-Mun Song’s oblique discomfort appears to be lessening each day.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Two months after the anniversary of the devastating Southern California firestorms, several legislators at the state Capitol unveiled a package of bills aimed at preventing wildfires and lessening their harms.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Cities across the nation are facing the same workplace trends including work-from-home flexibility and lessening square footage demands that are helping drive downtown office vacancies in Louisville.
—Matthew Glowicki, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
Meta, in a global race to dominate AI, wants to quickly build scale to seize the smart glasses market, lessening its reliance on hardware from tech rivals like Apple, the people said.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
The city says their work also preserves the shape of the beach above the high-water line to help turtles figure out where the appropriate nesting areas are, lessening the risk of their nests being too close to high-traffic areas.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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
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
The vision is expected to begin with further strengthening downtown Hartford and lessening its dependency on office workers for vibrancy.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
This will prioritize safety and reliability, while lessening emissions for local communities.
—Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Song update The Padres are encouraged that Sung-Mun Song’s oblique discomfort appears to be lessening each day.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Two months after the anniversary of the devastating Southern California firestorms, several legislators at the state Capitol unveiled a package of bills aimed at preventing wildfires and lessening their harms.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Cities across the nation are facing the same workplace trends including work-from-home flexibility and lessening square footage demands that are helping drive downtown office vacancies in Louisville.
—Matthew Glowicki, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Feb. 2026
Meta, in a global race to dominate AI, wants to quickly build scale to seize the smart glasses market, lessening its reliance on hardware from tech rivals like Apple, the people said.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2026
The city says their work also preserves the shape of the beach above the high-water line to help turtles figure out where the appropriate nesting areas are, lessening the risk of their nests being too close to high-traffic areas.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 20 Feb. 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
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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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There's also the robot lifespan to consider; a March 12 SEC filing cited a four-year depreciation period for them.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
-
That level of infrastructure spend will accelerate depreciation and probably compress margins, but management is clearly signaling a long-duration bet on AI as the core growth engine for GOOG.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Consumers can also look for savings at home by decreasing energy costs—for instance, by keeping the air conditioner at a higher temperature.—
Austin Carter,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Rather than decreasing the volume of betting, this restriction weakens legal operators by removing the clearest signals consumers have about which platforms are regulated and safe.—
Cláudia Nunes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Indeed, the need for RTGs was laid bare by Curiosity and Perseverance's predecessors, the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which were purely solar powered but suffered from diminishing power as Martian dust covered their solar arrays.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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Without sufficient funds, the upkeep of these amenities may decline, potentially lowering property values and diminishing residents’ quality of life.—
Gary Singer,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Seniors are the most reliable midterm voters in the country, and with the 2026 elections approaching and affordability already their top concern, weakening this program is a risk Republicans should not be taking.—
Joe Hardy,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
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However, rejecting the goal of citizenship verification altogether risks weakening public confidence in the system.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
To make some, stir together equal parts flour, shortening, and vegetable oil, then brush this generously on the surface of the pan.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Unemployment insurance claims stood at 202,000 in the week ending March 28, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week, according to Labor Department data.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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In addition to the decaying physical structure, Richards highlighted a decrease in correction officer staffing levels such that people inside do not feel safe.—
Steve Zeidman,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But there were no signs that the conflict was subsiding.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Mar. 2026
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But, by the end of May, the issue was not subsiding.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lessening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessening. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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