INCREASES Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

increases 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of increase

as in expands

to make greater in size, amount, or number we have to increase the number of season-ticket holders if the local sports franchise is to survive

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rises

to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the number of Internet users increased exponentially during the 1990s

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

increases

2 of 2

noun

plural of increase

as in boosts

something added (as by growth) shortly after he turned 12, he had a sudden height increase

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in accumulations

the act or process of becoming greater in number the increase in the number of students enrolled at the school was very gradual

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of increases

Verb

But if that decision introduces longer transportation times, reduces product shelf life or increases waste, the gain in one KPI may negatively affect KPIs for shipping, customer satisfaction, loss prevention, etc. — Guy Yehiav, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 While the first dose means a child is largely protected from the infections, a second dose increases protection. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 The drop in estrogen that accompanies menopause also increases the risk of osteoporosis, making support for bone health especially important during midlife. — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 31 Aug. 2026 The bill also increases the maximum penalties for violating local fireworks ordinances to $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second offense and $5,000 for each additional offense within five years of the first. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026 If the deduction increases your refund or lowers your tax bill, put that savings toward your loan balance. — Maya Benjamin,dan Avery, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 Workers ages 31 and older generally must have earned at least 20 credits during the 10 years before disability began, although the total number of credits required generally increases with age. — Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026 Rogue OpenAI agents’ unprecedented coordination during the Hugging Face attack significantly increases the risk of AI escaping human control, analysts said, days after investigators released a bombshell report into the incident. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Austin’s absence probably increases the need for the Giants to put their arms around Slayton a bit more in the next couple weeks. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026

Noun

The firm continues to expect the Fed to hike 50 basis points this year, with increases at the September and December Federal Open Market Committee meetings. — Justina Lee, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026 The pattern of warmer than normal water along the equator in the Eastern Pacific heats things up and favors increases in the number of tropical storms and hurricanes in the Pacific. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 The monopoly utility filed two more rate increases days later. — Lori Latham, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 But as the financial pressure on them increases, many schools with relatively small endowments have been pulling more from their funds, data from the National Association of College and University Business Officers show. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Fatal overdoses declined from 3,056 in 2023 to 2,192 in 2024, reversing nearly a decade of increases. — Joel Teron, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Recent increases follow a 2024 vote to freeze property tax revenues altogether in 2025, a move that prompted millions in budget cuts across government departments and put a strain on public services. — Sofi Zeman august 31, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026 That more aggressive timeline, combined with a town council that had skipped increases to water rates in the past, meant Gilbert needed to raise money for its new projects quickly. — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 As such, Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video owner Amazon have been reducing the size of average price increases from 24% per subscription in 2023/24 to 14% in 2025/26. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for increases

Verb

Hydropower capacity expands China has continued adding hydropower capacity as part of its broader clean-energy expansion.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
Based on the legend of the Chinese goddess Chang’e, this book reimagines and expands the myth to center her daughter, Xingyin, who flees her home and embarks on a bold adventure to save her mother while training in enemy territory.

— Chloe Gong, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of expands

Verb

Customization Is Becoming Key in the Buying Process As the personal touch becomes paramount for customers, the need for custom pieces rises with it.

— Footwear News, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
Out back, a custom stainless steel exhaust pipe rises vertically right next to the sissy bar, echoing classic vintage choppers.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of rises

Noun

Finding large accumulations of geologic hydrogen entails stumbling on a Goldilocks set of conditions.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2026
Inspectors found seven dead roaches under kitchen equipment and also noted accumulations of mold and rotting food debris, according to the report.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of accumulations

Verb

While the hurricane is not expected to make landfall, swells created by the hurricane could affect the coast of southwest Mexico and Baja California, as well as Southern California, per the National Hurricane Center.

— Julia Gomez, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
While Karina was expected to stay well away from land, swells from the storm were likely to cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions along parts of southwest Mexico and the Baja California Peninsula, the hurricane center said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of swells

Noun

Nick Schroeder, an analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office, earlier this month said the only indication of unfunded raises was the omission itself.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
However, they’re heavily weighted toward beginning educators, who can expect to see raises of around 17%.

— Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of raises

Noun

Summary The Phillies are actively seeking pitching depth to bolster their playoff push and challenge the Braves, as their bullpen has shown inconsistency and key additions are sidelined.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Those additions can complicate sorting and downstream recycling or reduce the quality of the recovered material.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of additions

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increased

increases

increasing

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“Increases.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/increases. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of increases

verb

noun

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