reduction

noun

ri-ˈdək-shən How to pronounce reduction (audio)
Definition of reductionnext
1
as in deduction
something that is or may be subtracted there was a sizable reduction in her weekly pay when she decided to buy health insurance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decrease
the amount by which something is lessened saw an 11% reduction in the number of students applying to the school

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in demotion
the act or an instance of bringing to a lower grade or rank the captain was punished with a reduction to lieutenant

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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 reduction The products were largely designed as a harm reduction tool to help smokers transition from combustible cigarettes to a nicotine product with fewer adverse health effects. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 The Apex also surpasses the Alphafly 4 in weight savings, as the former model is 10 percent lighter than the Alphafly 3 compared to a 5 percent reduction on the latter. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 Additional episodes will explore health topics including breast reductions, egg freezing, GLP-1s, Alzheimer’s disease, thyroid diseases, and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026 Haworth slated Kari for a nose job, extensive facial plastic surgery, a breast reduction, and liposuction. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reduction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reduction
  1. deduction
  2. decrease
  3. demotion
  4. discount
  5. decline
  6. firing
  7. dent
  8. dismissal
Noun
  • Yes, clubs have fallen foul of slightly breaking Premier League rules in the past and have received points deductions as a result.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • City now faces severe sanctions that could include a huge points deduction or even expulsion from the league, causing heavy reputational damage to its Abu Dhabi ownership.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of deduction
Noun
  • The decrease in gut bacteria diversity was tied to expansions in populations of certain bad actors, such as the bacteria Enterococcus faecium.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Kansas City dropped 221,703 to 1,527,098 and Arizona, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Colorado and Philadelphia all experienced decreases of 100,000 to 200,000.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of decrease
Noun
  • McCoy’s lawsuit alleges that her demotion was in violation of Missouri’s whistleblower statute, which allows public employees to sue for unlawful retaliation after reporting violations of law.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The outcome of the investigation, Balon said, resulted in the officer receiving a demotion in rank, an unpaid suspension, an indefinite suspension from the use of Flock and remedial ethics training.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of demotion
Noun
  • The weekend before, there will specials aplenty, Alarcon-Frohman promises, such as BOGO admissions and discount codes.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • By the time competitors start pushing discounts, our clients are already part of the buyer’s decision process.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of discount
Noun
  • Huawei's push into the smartphone market comes as sales in China have slumped this year, with a double-digit decline year-on-year in August and September, according to Counterpoint Research.
    — Matthew Tan,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The co-CEOs have modeled a cash ramp-up in coming years but meanwhile there’s not a big cushion if churn rises, cable-network declines accelerate, the box office softens again or there’s macroeconomic or geopolitical disruption.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of decline
Noun
  • Director Kash Patel says the report aims to promote accountability and rebuild public trust; critics say his investigations and firings have politicized the bureau and further undermined confidence.
    — Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The firing came after local station KGW unearthed tweets from Bell's account written between 2012 and 2014.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of firing
Noun
  • During the launch, a chunk of insulating foam broke off of the external tank and hit the bottom of the rocket booster, leaving a huge dent.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Companies like Flock allow users to conduct searches based on characteristics like vehicle make, model and color, as well as other distinctive vehicle features like dents and stickers.
    — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of dent
Noun
  • Trump’s Justice Department has been reviewing the pending cases one by one before seeking dismissal.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The widespread dismissal of standardized testing is one of the silliest and most harmful developments in the past twenty-five years of education discourse.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of dismissal

Browse Nearby Words

reducing
reduction
reductions
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Cite this Entry

“Reduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reduction. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on reduction

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about reduction

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