decreased to zero

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "decreased to zero" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where a quantity or value has been reduced to nothing or eliminated entirely. Example: "The company's profits have decreased to zero due to the economic downturn."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Mr. McCall said the performance of the pension fund had helped state and local taxpayers save $1.2 billion since 1996, as bills to government employers have decreased to zero for their share of the pension costs.

The New York Times

In fact, when H has decreased to zero, B still has a positive value called the remanence, residual induction, or retentivity, which has a high value for permanent magnets.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Accordingly, it was observed that the modulus decreased to zero from 20 °C to 180 °C.

Construction and Building Materials

The bitterness score was decreased to zero compared to 3+ of pure MFL.

Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The northward and downward forces gradually decreased to zero and increased in the opposite directions.

Earth, Planets and Space

Here, the greed action factor ε is decreased to zero as the optimization step increases.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Under three conditions, the DO fell along the biofilm depth and eventually decreased to zero.

AMB Express

Designs that worsened the multi-objective criterion were accepted with a certain probability, which decreased to zero as iterations proceeded.

Computers & Geosciences

When the state of an animal decreased to zero, the animal was considered dead and was removed from the system.

Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology

Number of double folds of iron gall inks papers decreased to zero already after 24 hours of accelerated aging.

Heritage Science

With increasing light intensity, the exchange bias under red and blue lights initially decreased to zero and then appeared again.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "decreased to zero", ensure the context clearly indicates a complete elimination or reduction to a null value. Be precise to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Do not use "decreased to zero" when the value has merely approached zero or become negligible, but not actually reached zero. Use terms like "approached zero" or "became negligible" instead to accurately reflect the situation.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "decreased to zero" functions as a verb phrase indicating a complete reduction to nothing. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely used. It often modifies a noun, specifying that a particular quantity or value has been entirely eliminated.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "decreased to zero" is a grammatically sound and widely used expression, as supported by Ludwig AI. It is most commonly found in scientific and technical contexts to indicate a complete reduction or elimination of a quantity or value. While acceptable for formal writing, ensure the context warrants such a definitive statement and accurately reflects that the value has indeed reached zero, as opposed to merely approaching it. Alternatives like "reduced to zero" or "fallen to zero" can be used depending on the specific nuance you want to express.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Reduced to zero

Uses "reduced" which is a direct synonym of decreased, suggesting a deliberate action to bring something to zero.

Diminished to zero

Uses "diminished" instead of "decreased", implying a gradual reduction.

Fallen to zero

Uses "fallen" to suggest a sudden or rapid decrease to zero.

Dropped to nil

Uses "nil" as a synonym for zero, indicating a reduction to nothing.

Became nonexistent

Emphasizes the state of not existing anymore, similar to a value decreasing to zero.

Wiped out entirely

Conveys a sense of complete removal or elimination, analogous to decreasing to zero.

Vanished entirely

Indicates a complete disappearance, which can be analogous to decreasing to zero in certain contexts.

Terminated completely

Suggests a full and final stop, similar to diminishing to zero in a specific context.

Reached a nadir

Implies reaching the lowest point, often used metaphorically to describe a situation decreasing to its worst.

Approached zero

Indicates approaching zero as a limit, without actually reaching it.

FAQs

How can I use "decreased to zero" in a sentence?

You can use "decreased to zero" to describe a quantity, value, or amount that has been completely eliminated or reduced to nothing. For instance, "The company's profits "decreased to zero" due to the economic downturn."

What are some alternatives to "decreased to zero"?

Alternatives include "reduced to zero", "fallen to zero", "diminished to zero", or "vanished entirely", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "decreased to zero" in formal writing?

Yes, "decreased to zero" is suitable for formal writing, particularly in scientific, technical, and business contexts, where precise language is essential. However, ensure the context warrants such a definitive statement.

What's the difference between "decreased to zero" and "approached zero"?

"Decreased to zero" indicates a complete elimination or reduction to nothing, while "approached zero" suggests that a value has come close to zero but hasn't actually reached it. The former is a definitive statement, whereas the latter implies a limit or trend.