1
as in to expand
to make greater in size, amount, or number
we have to increase the number of season-ticket holders if the local sports franchise is to survive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to rise
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
the number of Internet users increased exponentially during the 1990s
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in boost
something added (as by growth)
shortly after he turned 12, he had a sudden height increase
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in accumulation
the act or process of becoming greater in number
the increase in the number of students enrolled at the school was very gradual
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of increase
Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
Outside of the Super Bowl, automakers have increased sports advertising and embraced more streaming and regional advertising over national reach, according to iSpot.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 13 Feb. 2026
In fact, some of these data centers use the same amount of energy per day as a small city, leading to higher than average utility rate increases in states with the highest concentrations of them.
—Natasha Sutherland, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for increase
Verb
The percentage of third-graders mastering grade level performance in reading increased from 18% in 2024 to 21% in 2025, according to officials.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
Outside of the Super Bowl, automakers have increased sports advertising and embraced more streaming and regional advertising over national reach, according to iSpot.
—Michael Wayland, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
One study found that for every five-kilogram decrease in grip strength, all-cause mortality increases by 16%.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 13 Feb. 2026
In fact, some of these data centers use the same amount of energy per day as a small city, leading to higher than average utility rate increases in states with the highest concentrations of them.
—Natasha Sutherland, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for increase
Recent Examples of Synonyms for increase
Verb
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For many schools, that means expanding technical education classes, building partnerships with local businesses, and getting creative with transporting teens — some just on the cusp of learning to drive — to part-time work.—
Carley Lanich,
IndyStar,
10 Feb. 2026
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Powered by rapid advances in embodied intelligence, China’s humanoid robots are advancing rapidly, expanding their potential roles in both industrial settings and home environments.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That leads to high temperatures, which create a glowing protostar due to the rapid (kinetic) motion of the internal gas particles, and eventually, after a few tens of millions of years, the core temperatures rise high enough (above 4 million K or so) that nuclear fusion of hydrogen begins.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
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The information will be incorporated into the NEMO ocean model, which forms part of the UK Earth System Model, improving predictions as polar ice loss accelerates with rising global temperatures.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Universities across the state will also get a sizable boost from the funding bills.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
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But now researchers say a quick nap might offer that same kind of brain boost.—
Hunter Boyce,
AJC.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The results revealed lower leaf damage and lower anthocyanin accumulation when plants were physically touching each other.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Feb. 2026
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Snow squalls can occur with very little warning and can lead to whiteout conditions on the roads, and also drop a quick accumulation of snow that can lead to very slippery conditions.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At the same time, even the most cognitively challenging tasks that humans excel at can also be augmented by AI.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The fork in the road was right there in front of them, one a direction of resetting, one of augmenting.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Senate’s bill would tie some community development grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to housing production, offering bonuses to local governments that accelerate homebuilding while reducing funding for those that fall behind.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
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His move to the Sandringham estate was accelerated after the latest batch of Epstein files were released, and after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was seen waving to photographers and bystanders at Windsor Castle, as if nothing had happened.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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These performance gains have immediate implications for safety during human–robot interaction.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
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Jason Wilbanks was charged with computer tampering, evidence tampering, using his office for personal gain, and soliciting to commit a drug crime.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The health care company also raised its forecast range for profit this fiscal year.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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In the wake of Bad Bunny's halftime show selection in September, many critics raised concerns about a potential language barrier for English-language viewers.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Increase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/increase. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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