reduce
verb (used with object)
to bring down to a smaller extent, size, amount, number, etc..
had been reducing
-
past perfect progressiveof reduce.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two years after the transplant, the patient stopped taking the anti-retroviral drugs which had been reducing the level of HIV in his body.
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
"Inequality between countries had been reducing over the last couple of decades," she said.
From BBC ● May 23, 2022
The Fed is buying $90 billion a month in bonds, down from $120 billion in October, and had been reducing those purchases by $15 billion a month.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 2021
Delphi had been reducing its U.S. workforce for years before it moved most of its operations overseas in 2006.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2017
He had been reducing drastically to make weight for another horse, and was barely able to stand.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
