Meaning & use
reduce
To make something smaller in size, amount, or degree.
See it in a sentence
The company reduced its workforce by twenty percent to cut costs during the recession.
Simmering the sauce slowly will reduce it until the flavor becomes rich and concentrated.
A note on using this word
In cooking, "reduce" means to thicken a liquid by boiling off water, a specialized sense worth knowing.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
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