abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.
the storm abated
dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.
their provisions dwindled slowly
Example Sentences
The strength of the army was greatly diminished by outbreaks of disease. The drug's side effects should diminish over time. Nothing could diminish the importance of his contributions.
Recent Examples on the WebA good day for indoor activities, even though showers may diminish during the afternoon. Molly Robey, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2022 Getting the vaccine too soon could diminish the potential benefit, says Dr. Scott Roberts, an infectious-diseases specialist at Yale School of Medicine. Alex Janin, WSJ, 10 Sep. 2022 Rain chances are on the rise Wednesday mostly after lunchtime, albeit, chances start around 11 a.m. at 20% and rise to 70% by 5 p.m. Moisture and chances diminish after sunset. Joe Mario Pedersen, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2022 While waves may diminish some into Sunday, swimming conditions will remain hazardous through much of the holiday weekend. Allison Chinchar, CNN, 2 Sep. 2022 The three-judge panel affirmed that the land isn’t taxable without congressional approval, saying only Congress can diminish tribes’ sovereignty, and the treaty is best read to promise tax immunity even for reacquired lands. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 If and when those issues diminish, though, the availability of the Switch Lite and inflationary pressures may mean the original Switch stays at its current price for quite a while longer. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 16 Aug. 2022 The intelligence suggests Xi fears his military advantage may diminish as the United States moves to arm Taiwan more quickly, including with weapons that proved effective against Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine. Eric Schmitt, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2022 While most of the benefits are temporary, Boakye says ice rolling (or applying any cold tool) four to five times a week can help diminish inflammation. Emily Burns, ELLE, 5 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English deminishen, alteration of diminuen, from Anglo-French diminuer, from Late Latin diminuere, alteration of Latin deminuere, from de- + minuere to lessen — more at minor