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Some common synonyms of reduce<\/em> are abate<\/em><\/a>, decrease<\/em><\/a>, diminish<\/em><\/a>, dwindle<\/em><\/a>, and lessen<\/em><\/a>. While all these words mean \"to grow or make less,\" reduce<\/em> implies a bringing down or lowering.<\/p>

\/\/ you must reduce<\/em> your caloric intake<\/p>" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When would 'abate' be a good substitute for 'reduce'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

The synonyms abate<\/em><\/a> and reduce<\/em> are sometimes interchangeable, but abate<\/em> implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.<\/p>

\/\/ the storm abated<\/em><\/p>" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Where would 'decrease' be a reasonable alternative to 'reduce'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

The meanings of decrease<\/em><\/a> and reduce<\/em> largely overlap; however, decrease<\/em> suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.<\/p>

\/\/ slowly decreased<\/em> the amount of pressure<\/p>" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When can 'diminish' be used instead of 'reduce'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

While the synonyms diminish<\/em><\/a> and reduce<\/em> are close in meaning, diminish<\/em> emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.<\/p>

\/\/ his visual acuity has diminished<\/em><\/p>" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "In what contexts can 'dwindle' take the place of 'reduce'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

In some situations, the words dwindle<\/em><\/a> and reduce<\/em> are roughly equivalent. However, dwindle<\/em> implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.<\/p>

\/\/ their provisions dwindled<\/em> slowly<\/p>" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is 'lessen' a more appropriate choice than 'reduce'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

The words lessen<\/em><\/a> and reduce<\/em> are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lessen<\/em> suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.<\/p>

\/\/ has been unable to lessen<\/em> her debt<\/p>" } } ] }

reduce

verb

ri-ˈdüs How to pronounce reduce (audio)
Definition of reducenext
1
as in to demote
to bring to a lower grade or rank was reduced from team captain to team member as punishment for his misbehavior on the court

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to decrease
to make smaller in amount, volume, or extent you'll have to reduce the amount of money you spend on unnecessary purchases if you want to have any money left for retirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to lower
to diminish the price or value of a mortgage crisis that reduced homes to their lowest level in a decade

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb reduce differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reduce are abate, decrease, diminish, dwindle, and lessen. While all these words mean "to grow or make less," reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

When would abate be a good substitute for reduce?

The synonyms abate and reduce are sometimes interchangeable, but abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

Where would decrease be a reasonable alternative to reduce?

The meanings of decrease and reduce largely overlap; however, decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

When can diminish be used instead of reduce?

While the synonyms diminish and reduce are close in meaning, diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

In what contexts can dwindle take the place of reduce?

In some situations, the words dwindle and reduce are roughly equivalent. However, dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

When is lessen a more appropriate choice than reduce?

The words lessen and reduce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

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 reduce New federal tax changes for 2026 increase the standard deduction and add an additional deduction for seniors, which could reduce the portion of benefits subject to tax for some retirees. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 23 Mar. 2026 That number is slightly reduced from an earlier list of 27 schools. —Monique John, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026 This will reduce the risk of scratching your floors or the finish on top. —Dan Simms, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026 Keeping fibers in circulation could reduce exposure to volatile commodity markets and strengthen the region’s manufacturing base. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reduce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reduce
  1. demote
  2. decrease
  3. degrade
  4. depress
  5. deplete
  6. sink
  7. diminish
  8. attenuate
Verb
  • After all, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, demoted him as a working royal but didn’t do much else and provided him with the money to pay a settlement to Virginia Giuffre.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Just beware of adding something really wacky—like raisins—or you’ll be put on potluck probation and demoted to plate-and-napkin duty.
    — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of demote
Verb
  • Declining spring precipitation and rising temperatures have caused the Colorado’s flow to decrease by nearly 20 percent over the past quarter century.
    — Mira Rojanasakul, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
  • After the 15th Street bike lanes were constructed, bicycle injury crashes decreased by 91 percent, according to the District Department of Transportation.
    — Liam Scott, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • Riboua was more skeptical, arguing that Hezbollah would likely survive the collapse of the government in Tehran but would be vastly degraded.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Mar. 2026
  • While nickel alone tends to degrade quickly, the carbon layer protects it from damage while still allowing the necessary reactions to occur.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of degrade
Verb
  • At American firms, accent bias can quietly shape whose ideas gain traction at work by depressing attention and engagement for speakers with nonnative English accents.
    — Aliah Zewail, Harvard Business Review, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Another tax change could depress giving by larger amounts.
    — Jon Bergdoll, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of depress
Verb
  • If the trust fund is depleted, payroll taxes alone wouldn’t be enough to cover full benefits.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
  • But a buying frenzy touched off by the pandemic in 2020 depleted the inventory of homes for sale across the Hartford region and throughout much of Connecticut.
    — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Definition of deplete
Verb
  • Queens guard Chris Ashby, a grad student from Houston, sank a 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to close the gap to 45-33.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 21 Mar. 2026
  • The pressure causes air to sink toward the ground, where the compression of air causes temperatures to increase.
    — Roberto Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 21 Mar. 2026
Definition of sink
Verb
  • How diminished will their opportunities for success be in the real world?
    — Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Lightning is diminishing over shipping lanes as a result of the use of cleaner fuel.
    — Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Definition of diminish
Verb
  • Even as the Iranians’ capabilities are being attenuated, their intent to attack, if anything, is growing stronger.
    — Colin P. Clarke, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026
  • However, other impacts, on small business formation, for instance, are likely to be substantially attenuated.
    — Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Definition of attenuate

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Reduce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reduce. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on reduce

Nglish: Translation of reduce for Spanish Speakers

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