Guide 49 / 200 6 swaps Formal register
Professional words for “reduce”
Six verbs that name the kind of reduction.
i · When it mattersTwo lines, no filler
"Reduce" is fine. "Trim," "cut," "curtail," "minimize," "taper" each signal a different posture — efficient, severe, careful, gradual.
ii · The swaps6 ways
- 01Trim neutral
modest, targeted cut
Trimmed the payload by 20%.
- 02Cut neutral
direct, decisive reduction
Cut 8 minutes from build time.
- 03Curtail formal
reduce with authority
Curtailed non-essential travel.
- 04Minimize formal
bring as low as possible
Minimized write amplification.
- 05Taper formal
reduce gradually over time
Tapered dependency on the legacy service.
- 06Streamline formal
remove the unnecessary
Streamlined the approval workflow.