decreased; decreasing
: to grow progressively less (as in size, amount, number, or intensity)
Yearly sales decreased by five percent.
His little remaining strength had been decreasing rapidly for two or three days preceding …—
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
: to cause to decrease
decrease the risk of heart disease
trying to decrease our use of fossil fuels
1
: the process of growing progressively less (as in size, amount, number, or intensity) : the process of decreasing
a decrease in productivity
2
: an amount of diminution : reduction
a decrease of 20,000
saw a 20% decrease in violent crime
Synonyms
Examples of decrease in a Sentence
Verb
Sales decreased by five percent this year.
The driver decreased her speed as she approached the curve.
These changes will decrease our expenses.
Noun
Studies report a recent decrease in traffic accidents.
Because of the injury, some decrease in mobility is to be expected.
a decrease of three dollars
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Khachab, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Because of this, experts recommend prioritizing foods shown to decrease inflammation, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish, lean poultry, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado.
—Brittany Risher, SELF, 8 Jan. 2025
Nicole Kobie, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Keep in mind that the 2023-24 regular season averaged just under 500,000 viewers across games on ESPN and ABC, a stark decrease from the NCAA Tournament ratings.
—Ben Pickman, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for decrease 
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.
Verb
Revenues grew three times faster, sales costs decreased by 50% and customer service costs dropped by 80%.
—Daniel Khachab, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Because of this, experts recommend prioritizing foods shown to decrease inflammation, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish, lean poultry, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado.
—Brittany Risher, SELF, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
According to TfL, ridership across the network remains at 90% of pre-pandemic levels — such a decrease may not be entirely unwelcome for the commuters who remain, given overcrowding caused frequent delays.
—Nicole Kobie, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Keep in mind that the 2023-24 regular season averaged just under 500,000 viewers across games on ESPN and ABC, a stark decrease from the NCAA Tournament ratings.
—Ben Pickman, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for decrease
Dictionary Entries Near decrease
Cite this Entry
“Decrease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decrease. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share