reduce

Verb

Verb Forms: reduced, reducing, reduces

To make smaller or less in amount, extent, or intensity.
cut down on; make a reduction in
- "reduce your daily fat intake"
make less complex
- "reduce a problem to a single question"
bring to humbler or weaker state or condition
- "He reduced the population to slavery"
simplify the form of a mathematical equation of expression by substituting one term for another
lower in grade or rank or force somebody into an undignified situation
- "She reduced her niece to a servant"
be the essential element
reduce in size; reduce physically
lessen and make more modest
- "reduce one's standard of living"
make smaller
- "reduce an image"
to remove oxygen from a compound, or cause to react with hydrogen or form a hydride, or to undergo an increase in the number of electrons
narrow or limit
- "reduce the influx of foreigners"
put down by force or intimidation
undergo meiosis
- "The cells reduce"
reposition (a broken bone after surgery) back to its normal site
destress and thus weaken a sound when pronouncing it
reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
be cooked until very little liquid is left
- "The sauce should reduce to one cup"
cook until very little liquid is left
- "The cook reduced the sauce by boiling it for a long time"
lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture
take off weight
To bring down the size, quantity, quality, value or intensity of something; to diminish, to lower.
To lose weight.
To bring to an inferior rank; to degrade, to demote.
To humble; to conquer; to subdue; to capture.
To bring to an inferior state or condition.
To be forced by circumstances (into something one considers unworthy).
To decrease the liquid content of food by boiling much of its water off.
To add electrons / hydrogen or to remove oxygen.
To produce metal from ore by removing nonmetallic elements in a smelter.
To simplify an equation or formula without changing its value.
To express the solution of a problem in terms of another (known) algorithm.
To convert a syllogism to a clearer or simpler form.
To convert to written form. (Usage note: this verb almost always appears as "reduce to writing".)
To perform a reduction; to restore a fracture or dislocation to the correct alignment.
To reform a line or column from (a square).
To strike off the payroll.
To annul by legal means.
To pronounce (a sound or word) with less effort.
To translate (a book, document, etc.).

Examples

a book reduced into English
Formaldehyde can be reduced to form methanol.
He tried to REDUCE his opponent’s scoring opportunities by blocking key lanes.
It is important that all business contracts be reduced to writing.
reduced to silence
The first vowel of support is reduced to schwa by most English speakers.
to reduce a city to ashes
to reduce a province or a fort
to reduce a sergeant to the ranks
to reduce weight, speed, heat, expenses, price, personnel etc.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English reducen, from Old French reduire, from Latin redūcō (“reduce”); from re- (“back”) + dūcō (“lead”). See duke, and compare with redoubt.

Synonyms

abbreviate, abridge, boil down, bring down, come down, concentrate, contract, cut, cut back, cut down, decoct, deoxidise, deoxidize, dilute, foreshorten, keep down, lose weight, melt off, quash, repress, scale down, shorten, shrink, slenderize, slim, slim down, subdue, subjugate, thin, thin out, tighten, trim, trim back, trim down, decrease, inspissate, lower, thicken

Antonyms

blow up, expand, gain, oxidise, oxidize, increase

Scrabble Score: 9

reduce: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
reduce: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
reduce: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

reduce: valid Words With Friends Word