Increase
Increase verb - To make greater in size, amount, or number.
Usage example: we have to increase the number of season-ticket holders if the local sports franchise is to survive
Reduce
Reduce verb - To make smaller in amount, volume, or extent.
Usage example: you'll have to reduce the amount of money you spend on unnecessary purchases if you want to have any money left for retirement
Common collocations
| ability | increase ability | reduce ability |
| power | increase power | reduce power |
| strength | increase strength | reduce strength |
| score | increase score | reduce score |
| Other words: value, amount, chance, number, rate, range, time, speed, level, size, health, difficulty, weight, output, effectiveness, population, damage, risk, points, chances, powers, stat, stats. | ||
Both words in one sentence
- Dragoons and Black Mages both acquire a cooldown ability that greatly increases damage output, with attacks that both increase and reduce the duration of the effect.
Source: Difficult but Awesome - Even dirt can be dug and relocated to reduce and increase the height of terrain.
Source: Videogame / Wurm Online -
Lenneth Valkyrie, of Valkyrie Profile, can use the experience gained by her Einherjar to increase their virtues and reduce their vices to increase their individual "Hero" rating.
Source: Care-Bear Stare
Cite this Source
Reduce and Increase. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/increase/reduce
Increase & Reduce. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/increase/reduce>.
Reduce or Increase. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/increase/reduce.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "increase" and "reduce" have occurred on timeline