increases and decreases

USAGE SUMMARY

"increases and decreases" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing how something has changed over time. For example, "The population of the city has seen both increases and decreases over the past decade."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Yesterday's numbers dealt only with increases and decreases in population.

The New York Times

In the end, the increases and decreases in cancer risks balanced out.

The New York Times

The researchers acknowledged that the reported increases and decreases might have been due to chance.

The New York Times - Health

Exponential increases, and decreases, pop up quite often in various contexts.

The Guardian

The Southern Ocean showed a patchy mix of increases and decreases.

Nature

The force increases and decreases linearly from 0 to 30 pN in a 1 s cycle.

Nature

These include both copy number increases and decreases.

Oral Oncology

Officials also imposed limits on increases and decreases to protect schools from large budget swings this year.

The New York Times

"If you look at trend data, you will always see increases and decreases in people's literate practices".

The New York Times - Books

A series of increases and decreases are made for the tail, before stitching it closed and constructing the fins.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

True exponential increases and decreases occur whenever the rate of change of something is proportional to the thing itself.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing data trends, pair "increases and decreases" with specific values or percentages to provide context and demonstrate the magnitude of the changes.

Common error

Avoid using "increases and decreases" without providing sufficient detail. Instead of saying "there were increases and decreases", specify what increased or decreased, by how much, and over what period.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "increases and decreases" functions as a noun phrase typically used as the subject or object of a sentence to describe variations or fluctuations in a particular quantity or phenomenon. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

41%

Academia

7%

Less common in

Wiki

1%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "increases and decreases" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression, as validated by Ludwig AI. It serves to describe fluctuations or variations in a given context, highlighting movements in both upward and downward directions. This phrase is versatile, appearing frequently in scientific, news, and academic sources. While accurate, it's important to provide sufficient detail regarding what is increasing or decreasing, by how much, and over what period to avoid vagueness. Alternatives include "ups and downs" and "growth and decline", depending on the desired level of formality and specific nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rises and falls

This is a more literal synonym, highlighting the upward and downward movement.

ups and downs

This is a more informal, idiomatic expression.

growth and decline

This suggests a more sustained or significant change over time.

fluctuations

This is a more concise, single-word alternative.

variations

This emphasizes the existence of differences or changes, rather than specific directional movement.

ebbs and flows

This implies a rhythmic pattern of increase and decrease, often related to natural phenomena.

waxing and waning

This implies cyclical increases and decreases, often related to phases or periods.

oscillations

This suggests a regular back-and-forth movement between increase and decrease.

advances and setbacks

This suggests progress and regressions, often used in the context of projects or goals.

positive and negative changes

This alternative is more general and does not specify directional movement.

FAQs

How can I use "increases and decreases" in a sentence?

You can use "increases and decreases" to describe fluctuations in data or trends. For example, "The company's profits experienced both increases and decreases throughout the year."

What are some alternatives to "increases and decreases"?

You can use alternatives like "ups and downs", "growth and decline", or "fluctuations" depending on the context.

Is it redundant to use both "increases" and "decreases"?

No, using both "increases" and "decreases" is not redundant when you want to convey that there were changes in both directions. It explicitly acknowledges both upward and downward movements.

What's the difference between "increases and decreases" and "net change"?

"Increases and decreases" describes the individual movements, while "net change" refers to the overall difference between the starting and ending points. For example, there might be "increases and decreases", but the "net change" could still be zero.