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lessen

[les-uhn] / ˈlɛs ən /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Tweaks to the rules to lessen the problem were made after just three races, and the engine split will be modified to become 60-40 by 2028, with an intermediate step for next year.

From BBC Jul. 29, 2026

Carney has charted a distinctive course in international affairs and trade, traveling the world in search of new business partners that can help Canada lessen its dependence on the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 23, 2026

ESPN’s direct-to-consumer streaming service, designed to lessen its dependency on declining cable TV revenue, is still in its nascent stage.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 21, 2026

Washing or peeling can lessen the risk of infection, but cooking food to at least 158 degrees reliably kills Cyclospora.

From Slate Jul. 17, 2026

But knowing all that still didn’t lessen the adrenaline jolt of fear that shot through me.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Further spikes of heat are likely, however as August wears on and the sun gradually loses some of its intensity, the likelihood of extreme temperatures in the high 30s lessens.

From BBC Aug. 3, 2026

This actuarial approach lessens the chance you’ll run out of money, and it lets good market returns flow through to higher spending.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 23, 2026

"Our study suggests that living near a NPP may carry a measurable cancer risk -- one that lessens with distance," said senior author Petros Koutrakis, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation.

From Science Daily Feb. 24, 2026

“I don’t think that us having dudes sit down lessens any chances that we have — any motivation or confidence — to win the game,” Gadsden said.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 3, 2026

As I laugh with them, the churning inside me lessens.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

From a product standpoint, PayPal has pushed passkey verification, which it said has lessened friction customers experience at checkout.

From MarketWatch Jul. 28, 2026

Neither is perfect—no earthly creation is—and each is lessened by its complicity with the institution of slavery.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 19, 2026

But it could be lessened, Percy said, by local authorities embracing technological advances.

From BBC Jun. 10, 2026

In both cases, arginine treatment reduced the accumulation of Aβ and lessened its harmful effects.

From Science Daily May 4, 2026

The steam from the grass rose to our soles, and it gradually lessened the pain.

From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah

When it comes to our kids, our quest for optimization is not so much lessening anxiety as feeding it.

From Slate Aug. 11, 2026

Shares of banks, airlines, retailers and other industries that had struggled since February have started breaking higher, lessening the market’s dependence on hot tech stocks and catching the attention of chart-watching technical strategists.

From MarketWatch Jun. 17, 2026

A source close to PIF said the move should not be seen as a sign of any lessening in interest in sports investments.

From BBC Apr. 16, 2026

Ellen Swallow Richards is known as the founder of home economics, which to her meant bringing scientific principles to domestic life, lessening household labor and improving public health.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 9, 2026

Whether because of flu and fever or an abrupt lessening in the warmth of his confidence, Nye exuded an icy sweat.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote




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