Made smaller or less (7) Crossword Clue
Answer: REDUCED (7 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Made smaller or less" with 7 letters is "REDUCED". Reduced refers to something that has been made smaller or less in size, quantity, or intensity. For instance, when we say that a price has been reduced, it means that the cost of an item has been lowered compared to its original price.
Why “Reduced” Fits
Made smaller or less: “Reduced” is the standard adjective and past form of “reduce,” meaning something has been made smaller or less in size, amount, degree, or price, so it matches “made smaller or less” exactly.
Dictionaries define “reduced” as “made smaller or less; having undergone reduction” or “made smaller, lower, or less; diminished,” which is precisely what the clue describes.
A Bit of Background
“Reduced” appears across many everyday contexts:
- General use: Language resources explain that to reduce something is to make it less in size, quantity, amount, price, or intensity—for example, reduced prices, reduced risk, reduced speed, or reduced numbers. In each case, “reduced” signals that something is now lower than it was before—smaller or less in some measurable way.
- Other senses: “Reduced” can also describe discounted goods (“reduced price”), concentrated liquids in cooking (“a reduced sauce”), or diminished circumstances (“living in reduced circumstances”), but all share the core idea of something being lessened from its prior state.
Crossword Solving Insight
For a clue like “Made smaller or less (7)”:
- Definition match: “Made smaller or less” is effectively a dictionary-style paraphrase of “reduced” as an adjective or past participle of “reduce.”
- Enumeration: REDUCED has seven letters, fitting the (7) pattern perfectly; similar words like “lessened” (8) or “cut” (3) do not match this length.
- Versatility: Because “reduced” is the most common, neutral term for something that has been made smaller or less, it is a very natural and frequently used crossword answer for this type of clue.
This precise semantic match and exact letter fit make REDUCED an ideal solution to “Made smaller or less (7).”
