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Meaning & use

abate in

phrase·Advancedformal

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UK/əˈbeɪt ɪn/
US/əˈbeɪt ɪn/

Meaning

  1. phrasephrasal verbformal

    To become less strong or less severe in a particular quality.

    Grammar: Used without an object; the quality that weakens comes after "in," as in "abate in strength."

    Patterns

    • abate in intensity
    • abate in strength
    • abate in force
    • abate in ferocity

    By late evening the storm had begun to abate in intensity.

    Public anger over the new tax did not abate in the following weeks.

    The wind abated in force just before dawn, and the boats set out again.

Word forms

third person singularabates in
past tenseabated in
past participleabated in
-ing formabating in

Common combinations

abate in intensity
The fighting abated in intensity after the ceasefire was signed.
abate in strength
The hurricane slowly abated in strength as it moved inland.
abate in force
The criticism abated in force once the report was published.
show no sign of abating in
Demand for the product shows no sign of abating in the coming year.

Synonyms and how they differ

decrease
A general word for getting smaller in amount or number; it does not need "in" and works with countable things like prices or sales.
subside
Very close in meaning and also formal, but it is used more for storms, floods, and strong feelings that settle down on their own.
diminish
Suggests a gradual shrinking of size, importance, or power, and can be transitive, so you can diminish something.
ease
Often used for pain, pressure, or tension that becomes less; it is less formal than "abate in."

Opposites

increase ingrow inintensify

Word family

abatement noun
The act of becoming less strong, or the reduction of something such as noise or a tax.
abate verb
To become less strong, or to make something less strong; the base verb behind this phrase.

Commonly confused: abate in or abate? abate in or bate?

abate in vs abate

The base verb can be used alone ("The noise abated") or with an object ("They abated the noise"). "Abate in" needs a following noun naming the quality, as in "abate in volume."

abate in vs bate

A rare verb meaning to hold back or reduce, and also found in the phrase "with bated breath." It is not a short form of "abate."

Practice

The cheering finally began to ___ volume as the team left the field.

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