How to Use less in a Sentence

less

1 of 2 adjective
  • We need less talk and more work!
  • We made it there in less than six hours.
  • The whole procedure takes less than five minutes.
  • She finished in less time than I did.
  • The illness affects less than one percent of the population.
  • Less detail is sometimes better than more detail.
  • No true fan would wish for less.
    — Nick Newman, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
  • But the idea here is to spend less .
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
  • And did one of you want to do it less?
    — Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
  • One less thing to lose, one less thing to stress about.
    — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026
  • But for Ohs, at least, less is more.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
  • This is less spooky and more funny.
    — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025
  • To look at things with less emotion.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • And so, there will be less justice.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The show premiered less than a month ago.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026
  • Say less than usual, and act with heart.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Should have played less minutes?
    — Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026
  • Fast-food restaurants see less of a bump in sales.
    — Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Your taste buds will get used to less sugar over time.
    — Merve Ceylan, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Those earning less would pay even more, the group said.
    — David A. Lieb, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Keep scrolling to see even more luxe-for-less Quince bags.
    — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Most places saw around two hundredths of an inch of rain or less.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Lilly shares are down less than 1%.
    — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Yet the conflict is now less than a month from its two-year mark.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
  • This will yield slightly less than 1 cup of oat flour.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
  • For all the buildup, this may be less a showdown than a shrug-off.
    — Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
  • After all, the shoe weighs less than 2 pounds on its own.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Most of the lunch specials cost less than $20.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
  • The field sparrow produces less of a song than a beat.
    — Christopher Gangemi, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
  • The son testified for less than an hour.
    — Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 1 Apr. 2026

less

2 of 2 adverb
  • Which test is the less difficult of the two?
  • This test seemed much less difficult than the last one.
  • She visits much less often than she used to.
  • Their band is less concerned with making music than with making money.
  • Do you have another one that's less expensive?
  • They're focusing more on quality and less on quantity.
  • That makes those loans less risky for lenders.
    — Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The rest of the line is less assured.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Life without him will be less bright.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Well, the truth is a little less sexy.
    — Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • People are less apt to ship things via air.
    — Cathy Bussewitz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
  • This year’s class is no less unruly.
    — Michael Slenske, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Yet, that doesn’t make the result any less telling.
    — Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
  • To keep geese away from your yard, mow the grass less often.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Western Maine golf is close and yet less known.
    — Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 18 June 2026
  • Most reach a height of 15 feet or less and take a long while to get there.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
  • This year, the run game has been less effective.
    — Zach Berman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Brown rice also contains less fat than quinoa.
    — Lindsey Desoto, Health, 9 Jan. 2026
  • But climate change makes such luck less likely.
    — Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 4 June 2026
  • Borders mean less to me than people.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Available data is far less clear cut.
    — Josh Meyer, USA Today, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Want a less crowded spring break escape?
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026
  • But the law does not make finding the cause for wrecks less blurry.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Other changes are even less thoughtful.
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • But Marsh feels less certain to stick around than Stott.
    — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The bill in New York could make that picture a bit less grim.
    — Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 9 June 2023
  • There is a test in All of You as well, but this one is far less painful.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The buyers are less willing to take risks than prior to the strike.
    — Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024
  • The less cerebral side of life is visible just across the street.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
  • For the less daring, there are a total of five trails inside the park.
    — Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 14 May 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'less.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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