| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | complete, finish, stop |
| Synonyms: | button down, button up, call it a day, call off, cap, cease, clear, clinch, conclude, consummate, culminate, cut loose, determine, discontinue, do, drop the curtain, end, fold, fold up, halt, pack it in, put a lid on, put to bed, sew up, shut down, shutter, terminate, ultimate, wind down, wind up, wrap up |
| Antonyms: | begin, continue, not finish, open, start |
| Main Entry: | lessen |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lower, reduce |
| Synonyms: | abate, abridge, amputate, attenuate, become smaller, clip, close, contract, crop, curtail, cut, cut back, de-escalate, decline, decrease, degrade, die down, dilute, diminish, downsize, drain, dwindle, ease, erode, grow less, impair, lighten, minify, minimize, mitigate, moderate, narrow, roll back, shrink, slack up, slacken, slow down, soft-pedal, take the bite out, take the edge off, take the sting out, taper, taper off, thin, truncate, weaken, wind down |
| Notes: | lessen means to decrease in size, extent, or range, while a lesson is a unit of instruction |
| Antonyms: | enlarge, extend, increase, raise, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | reduce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make less; decrease |
| Synonyms: | abate, abridge, bankrupt, bant, break, cheapen, chop, clip, contract, curtail, cut, cut back, cut down, debase, deflate, depreciate, depress, diet, dilute, diminish, discount, drain, dwindle, go on a diet, impair, impoverish, lessen, lose weight, lower, mark down, moderate, nutshell, pare, pauperize, rebate, recede, roll back, ruin, scale down, shave, shorten, slash, slim, slow down, step down, take off weight, taper, taper off, tone down, trim, truncate, turn down, weaken, wind down |
| Notes: | reduce means to cut down on; minimize means to make small or insignificant or represent as less important |
| Antonyms: | expand, extend, grow, increase, raise, upgrade |
| Main Entry: | rest |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | be calm; sleep |
| Synonyms: | be at ease, be comfortable, breathe, compose oneself, doze, dream, drowse, ease off, ease up, idle, laze, lean, let down, let up, lie by, lie down, lie still, loaf, loll, lounge, nap, nod, put feet up, recline, refresh oneself, relax, repose, sit down, slack, slack off, slacken, slumber, snooze, spell, stretch out, take a break, take a nap, take five, take it easy, take life easy, take ten, take time out, unbend, unlax, unwind, wind down |
| Antonyms: | activate, be active, carry out, do, energize |
| Main Entry: | slow |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | delay, restrict |
| Synonyms: | abate, anchor it, back-water, bog down, brake, check, choke, curb, curtail, cut back, cut down, decelerate, decrease, detain, diminish, ease off, ease up, embog, handicap, hinder, hit the brakes, hold back, hold up, impede, keep waiting, lag, lessen, let down flaps, loiter, lose speed, lose steam, mire, moderate, postpone, procrastinate, qualify, quiet, reduce, reduce speed, reef, regulate, rein in, relax, retard, retardate, set back, slacken, stall, stunt, temper, wind down |
| Antonyms: | advance, forward, push |
| Main Entry: | taper/taper off |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | decrease to a point |
| Synonyms: | abate, bate, close, come to a point, die away, die out, diminish, drain, dwindle, fade, lessen, narrow, recede, reduce, rescind, subside, thin, thin out, wane, weaken, wind down |
| Antonyms: | go up, increase, rise |
| Main Entry: | terminate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stop, finish |
| Synonyms: | abolish, abort, achieve, adjourn, annul, bounce, bound, bring to an end, cancel, cease, close, come to an end, complete, conclude, confine, cut off, define, desist, determine, discharge, discontinue, dismiss, dissolve, drop, eliminate, end, expire, extinguish, fire, halt, issue, lapse, limit, perfect, prorogate, prorogue, put an end to, recess, restrict, result, run out, sack, scratch, scrub, tether, ultimate, wind down, wind up, wrap up, wrap* |
| Antonyms: | begin, initiate, open, start |
| Main Entry: | unwind |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | relax |
| Synonyms: | calm down, ease off, loosen up, quiet down, quieten, recline, rest, sit back, slow down, take a break, take it easy, wind down |
| Antonyms: | agitate, prepare, ready |
| Main Entry: | wane |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | diminish, lessen |
| Synonyms: | abate, atrophy, decline, decrease, die away, die down, die out, dim, draw to a close, drop, dwindle, ease off, ebb, fade, fade away, fail, fall, fall short, let up, moderate, peter out, relent, shrink, sink, slack off, slacken, subside, taper off, waste away, weaken, wind down, wither |
| Notes: | wane means to gradually decrease in strength or size, while wax means to increase in size or strength |
| Antonyms: | grow, increase, raise, rise |