reduce to

reduce to
phrasal verb [transitive]
Word forms "reduce to":
present tense I/you/we/they reduce to he/she/it reduces to present participle reducing to past tense reduced to past participle reduced to
1) reduce something to something to make something change into a different form by damaging it or crushing it

The fruit is reduced to a pulp and then mixed with sugar.

This beautiful forest has been reduced to a wasteland.

reduce something to rubble/dust/ashes:

The building was reduced to rubble by the explosion.

2)
a) reduce someone to something to force someone into an unpleasant state or situation

Stress had reduced him to a nervous wreck.

b) reduce someone to tears/silence to upset or shock someone so much that they cry or are unable to speak

English dictionary. 2014.

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  • reduce — ► VERB 1) make or become smaller or less in amount, degree, or size. 2) (reduce to) change (something) to (a simpler or more basic form). 3) (reduce to) bring to (an undesirable state or action). 4) boil (a sauce or other liquid) so that it… …   English terms dictionary

  • reduce — [v1] make less; decrease abate, abridge, bankrupt, bant, break, cheapen, chop, clip, contract, curtail, cut, cut back, cut down, debase, deflate, depreciate, depress, diet, dilute, diminish, discount, drain, dwindle, go on a diet*, impair,… …   New thesaurus

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  • reduce — / rɛdutʃe/ s.m. e f. [dal lat. redux ŭcis, der. di ducĕre guidare , col pref. re  ]. 1. [chi ritorna dalla guerra] ▶◀ ex combattente. 2. (estens.) [chi è appena uscito da un esperienza negativa, con la prep. da : essere r. da una lunga malattia ] …   Enciclopedia Italiana

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