reduce · verb T /rɪˈduːs/
reduce
B1 to make something less
Dictionary examples:
to reduce air pollution
Prices have been reduced by almost 50 percent.
The number of employees was reduced from 500 to 300.
Do nuclear weapons really reduce the risk of war?
Learner example:
It is a bit smal[l], but the price was reduced. (Preliminary English Test; B1; Albanian)
reduce sb to sth/doing sth
C2 to make someone unhappy or cause them to be in a bad situation
Dictionary examples:
She was reduced to tears by his comments.
I lost my job and was reduced to borrowing money from friends.
Learner example:
She was also very hard with stubborn witnesses, reducing them to tears, or pumping them dry of information where necessary. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Italian)
reduce sth to sth
C2 to destroy something, especially something that has been built
Dictionary example:
The earthquake reduced the city to rubble.
