as in diminished
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1
as in reduced
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 decreased
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weakened
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 lessened
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Mitigators work in the other direction, articulating a spectrum of factors that might support lessened punishment, such as the defendant having no prior criminal record, or acting under significant duress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
After taking a lessened role in 2025, Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, per multiple reports.
—Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
An overloaded dryer leads to lessened airflow and, therefore, extended dry time.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2025
Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
But the flooding would be less powerful than at the old site, Wing said, and its impact could be lessened by elevating the hospital or building earthen embankments.
—Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The automobile lessened our reliance on the horse.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
The Mavericks lessened their PR woes with last November’s firing of Harrison.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
In that case, the enthusiasm with which one applauds may be emphatically lessened.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Additional data shows that the lack of in person connection is quickly becoming a relationship crisis, with 78% of Bumble users sharing that anxiety and stress to present themselves as perfect lead to hopelessness in finding someone, which in turn has lessened the rates of offline relationships.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The weather service says this band of precipitation would be lessened by the ice on Lake Erie, but not eliminated.
—Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
The end of Invest in Kids didn’t mean that demand for alternatives lessened.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Kuminga then saw a combination of injuries and uneven performances lead to lessened playing time before eventually falling out of the rotation altogether.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026
Mitigators work in the other direction, articulating a spectrum of factors that might support lessened punishment, such as the defendant having no prior criminal record, or acting under significant duress.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
After taking a lessened role in 2025, Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn will enter the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining, per multiple reports.
—Ty Kaplan, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
An overloaded dryer leads to lessened airflow and, therefore, extended dry time.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
Redistricting and the rise in safe House seats, though, has lessened the likelihood of wave elections that would bring huge swings toward one party or the other.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
But the flooding would be less powerful than at the old site, Wing said, and its impact could be lessened by elevating the hospital or building earthen embankments.
—Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The automobile lessened our reliance on the horse.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026
The Mavericks lessened their PR woes with last November’s firing of Harrison.
—Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
In that case, the enthusiasm with which one applauds may be emphatically lessened.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Additional data shows that the lack of in person connection is quickly becoming a relationship crisis, with 78% of Bumble users sharing that anxiety and stress to present themselves as perfect lead to hopelessness in finding someone, which in turn has lessened the rates of offline relationships.
—Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The weather service says this band of precipitation would be lessened by the ice on Lake Erie, but not eliminated.
—Helen Graham, NBC news, 26 Jan. 2026
The end of Invest in Kids didn’t mean that demand for alternatives lessened.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lessened
Verb
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The amount taxpayers can write off is reduced by $200 for each $1,000 in income above the $100,00 and $200,000 income limits.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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In other experiments, Zatorre found that bolstering dopamine enhanced the enjoyment of music, while blocking dopamine reduced it.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But over that same span, the number of boys playing flag football actually decreased.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Short-term rates have come down as the Federal Reserve decreased the federal funds rate, but the central bank opted to pause rate cuts in January.—
Michelle Fox,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bass, who was politically weakened by her performance during the fire and its aftermath, was already facing more than two dozen challengers looking to oust her in the June 2 primary — the vast majority little known to the public and not expected to pose any threat.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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New York — US stocks dropped Thursday, continuing a recent patch of volatility, as Wall Street grappled with persistent nerves about artificial intelligence and economic data showed the labor market weakened over the past two months.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In Stoddart’s estimation, the best way to freeze these semi-consumed cakes is in slices.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The mood around EVs can be attributed to many factors, such as the loss of federal tax credits in 2025; the end of emissions waivers and revenues from carbon credits; and diminished aftermarket values as consumers fear battery degradation and anticipate quickly evolving technologies.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
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Davie’s successor will inherit an organization wrestling with its place in a media ecosystem dominated by overseas tech giants, as well as battling enemies closer to home, with conservative politicians and media proprietors wishing to see the BBC diminished during charter renewal.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Harald’s physical health has deteriorated in recent years, requiring Haakon to act as regent on occasion.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The relationship deteriorated further after Horvath and her colleagues voted to shift hundreds of millions of dollars out of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a city-county partnership, and into a new county agency on homelessness.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Throughout that autumn and winter, and even as late as 1922, Proust repeatedly compared his own depleted physical condition to that of the Irish republican martyr.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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This can also lead to exhaustion and burnout with depleted energy, distracting you from your goals.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The pain subsided, but remained.—
Andrew Callahan,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2026
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The skittishness with tech stocks subsided on Friday, with shares of Nvidia and Microsoft going up, as did the price of Bitcoin.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lessened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lessened. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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