downsize

verb

down·​size ˈdau̇n-ˌsīz 

downsized; downsizing; downsizes

transitive verb

1

: to reduce in size

especially : to design or produce in smaller size

2

: to fire (employees) for the purpose of downsizing a business

intransitive verb

: to undergo a reduction in size

Synonyms

• abate
• de-escalate
• decrease
• dent
• deplete
• diminish
• downscale
• drop
• dwindle
• ease
• knock down
• lessen
• lower
• reduce

Examples of downsize in a Sentence

They have downsized the car's engine in the new model.

The company is planning to downsize next year.

The company will be downsized next year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Elon Musk, who is working to downsize the federal government as part of the DOGE initiative, has targeted USAID for closure. —Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025

Shopping centers have added new restaurants, turned former stores into apartments or gotten demolished for completely new uses, as mall anchors like Sears have shuttered and others like Macy’s are downsizing. —Melissa Repko, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2025

Only 148,000 took advantage of that offer, but that wasn’t Clinton’s only attempt to downsize the federal payroll. —The Editors, National Review, 1 Feb. 2025

There’s been buzz that the new owners of Paramount Global are considering a plan to downsize Pluto TV into a tile on Paramount+. —Josef Adalian, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

downsize

verb

down·​size ˈdau̇n-ˌsīz 

: to reduce in size

the company downsized its staff to cut costs