decreases down to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "decreases down to" is not correct in standard written English.
It is redundant because "decreases" already implies a downward movement. Example: "The temperature decreases down to freezing point."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

48 human-written examples

This strong negative response slightly decreases down to a temperature of approximately 150 K.

Nature

Afterwards, the layer rate growth decreases down to that expected on the basis of this law.

Surface and Coatings Technology

The resulting grain size decreases down to a constant submicrometric value.

Acta Materialia

The kinetics is characterized by an initial Avrami exponent close to unity, which decreases down to values below 0.5 as the crystalline volume fraction increases.

Acta Materialia

Further addition of carbon does not influence the soft magnetic properties, whereas the saturation flux density decreases down to 2 T.

Electrochimica Acta

When the voltage decreases down to lower than 10 V, the porosity increases remarkably, especially in the films formed in phosphoric acid.

Surface and Coatings Technology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

12 human-written examples

Their total water storage capacity decreased down to 52%.

Geoderma

However, it decreased down to a low of 39% under Obama.

The Guardian - Opinion

As result the surface roughness can be decreased down to Ra = 0.04 µm.

Procedia CIRP

The ventilation air methane concentration of working face greatly decreased down to about 0.3%.

Procedia Engineering

For the present corrugation geometry, the critical Reynolds number is decreased down to about 4000.

European Journal of Mechanics - B-Fluids

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Omit "down" to avoid redundancy: use "decreases to" instead of "decreases down to" for more concise and grammatically correct writing.

Common error

Don't use both "decreases" and "down to" together. The word "decreases" already indicates a downward direction, so "down to" is unnecessary and makes the sentence less clear. For example, prefer "The temperature decreases to 10 degrees" over "The temperature decreases down to 10 degrees."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "decreases down to" functions as a verbal phrase indicating a reduction in quantity, value, or intensity until a specific lower limit is reached. However, as Ludwig AI highlights, the presence of "down to" is redundant.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

100%

Less common in

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "decreases down to" is frequently used, particularly in scientific and technical writing, it is grammatically redundant. Ludwig AI analysis confirms that "down to" is unnecessary because "decreases" inherently implies a downward direction. For clearer and more concise writing, it's best to use alternatives like "decreases to", "falls to", or "drops to". Despite its frequent appearance, especially in scientific contexts, aiming for grammatical correctness will improve clarity in writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

decreases to

Omits the redundant "down", resulting in a more concise and grammatically sound construction.

falls to

Replaces "decreases" with "falls", which still conveys a reduction but offers a slight shift in imagery.

drops to

Similar to "falls to", "drops to" is a synonym with a similar degree of interchangeability.

reduces to

Employs the verb "reduces" instead of "decreases", maintaining the sense of diminishment.

diminishes to

"Diminishes" provides a more formal tone while preserving the core meaning of reduction.

goes down to

Uses "goes down" for a more casual and descriptive expression of decrease.

sinks to

"Sinks to" implies a more dramatic or significant reduction.

plummets to

Like "sinks to", "plummets to" suggests a rapid and substantial decrease.

lessens to

"Lessens" is a gentler way of saying "decreases", suitable for situations where the reduction is gradual.

descends to

"Descends" offers a slightly more formal and directional alternative to "decreases".

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "decreases down to"?

The correct way to phrase this is to simply say "decreases to". The word "decreases" already implies a downward movement, making "down to" redundant.

What are some alternatives to "decreases down to"?

You can use phrases like "falls to", "drops to", or "reduces to" instead of "decreases down to" for clearer and more concise writing.

Why is "decreases down to" considered grammatically incorrect?

The phrase "decreases down to" is considered redundant because the verb "decreases" inherently means to move downward. Adding "down to" repeats this idea unnecessarily.

In what contexts might I still encounter the phrase "decreases down to"?

While grammatically questionable, "decreases down to" may appear in technical or scientific writing where precision is prioritized, even if it results in slight redundancy. However, it is generally best to use alternatives like "decreases to".