lessen the challenge

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "lessen the challenge" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing ways to make a task or situation easier or more manageable. Example: "We need to find ways to lessen the challenge of meeting our project deadlines."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Matt Roberts, spokesman for the Arizona secretary of state, Ken Bennett — who, like Mr. Horne, is a Republican — said the small numbers do nothing to lessen the challenge of adding another ballot to a system already full of them, each based on variants like party affiliation, voting precinct, and legislative and Congressional districts.

The New York Times

But purists complain this would lessen the challenge of scaling the mountain.

BBC

Although curation is one of the most likely challenging aspects of maintaining a sustainable ERAIZDA database, having a uniform annotation procedure can lessen the challenge.

Database : the journal of biological databases and curation

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

A Greek exit would increase, not lessen, the challenges facing the single currency.

The New York Times

The relevance of different agronomic practices as adaptation measure is increasing over years in the study area to lessen the challenges of climate factors on agriculture.

Ecological Processes

Promising Trends Long-term trends favor emerging markets' movement toward higher levels of transparency that will lessen the challenges confronting foreign investors by reducing the incidence of bribery and by neutralizing the competitive advantages of corruption.

Forbes

Cosworth, which provides engines to several teams, said in its race preview that "the extreme humidity compromises available power in the normally aspirated engine but somewhat lessens the challenge in terms of fuel economy, an important factor for the long race distance".

The New York Times - Sports

Also, the absence of two good climbers, the suspended Alberto Contador and the injured Andy Schleck, lessened the challenge for Team Sky in the mountains but you cannot take anything away from Wiggins and their achievements.

BBC

Working quickly through an arc of motion when lifting and lowering weights lessens the challenge to your muscles.

Huffington Post

Marc Prioleau, a consultant on strategy, mergers and acquisitions in the maps and location services fields, said the release of the Google Maps app did not lessen the daunting challenge for Apple of making a maps service that is competitive with Google's, a process that could take years.

The New York Times - Tech

This lessens the sorting challenge for you at the arrival end.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "lessen the challenge", ensure that the context clearly indicates what specific actions or strategies are being employed to make the challenge more manageable. Providing concrete examples strengthens your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "lessen the challenge" when the goal is complete elimination rather than reduction. Choose a more appropriate phrase like "overcome the challenge" or "eliminate the obstacle" to better reflect the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lessen the challenge" functions as a verb phrase, where "lessen" acts as a transitive verb taking "the challenge" as its direct object. It describes the action of reducing the intensity or difficulty of a task or situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically sound and ready to use.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "lessen the challenge" is a grammatically correct expression used to describe the act of reducing the difficulty or intensity of a task or situation. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is suitable for use in writing. Although its frequency is relatively rare, it finds application across diverse contexts like news, science, and general knowledge resources such as WikiHow. Alternative phrases such as "mitigate the difficulty" or "reduce the difficulty" offer similar meanings but may carry slightly different connotations. When using this phrase, ensure that the context clearly identifies the specific actions or strategies employed to make the challenge more manageable, and avoid using it when the goal is complete elimination rather than just reduction.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mitigate the difficulty

Replaces "lessen" with "mitigate" implying a reduction in severity or intensity of the difficulty.

reduce the difficulty

Substitutes "lessen" with "reduce", indicating a decrease in the level of difficulty.

alleviate the burden

Replaces "challenge" with "burden", shifting the focus to reducing the weight or pressure of something.

ease the difficulty

Uses "ease" instead of "lessen", suggesting a smoother or more gradual reduction in difficulty.

lighten the load

Replaces "challenge" with "load", focusing on making something feel less heavy or demanding.

diminish the obstacle

Replaces "lessen" with "diminish" and "challenge" with "obstacle", implying a reduction in size or significance of a barrier.

soften the impact

Focuses on reducing the negative effects or consequences of the challenge rather than the challenge itself.

minimize the struggle

Shifts the focus to reducing the effort or difficulty involved in dealing with the challenge.

weaken the resistance

Implies reducing the opposing force or difficulty that constitutes the challenge.

attenuate the problem

Replaces "lessen" with "attenuate" and "challenge" with "problem", suggesting a weakening or reduction in the intensity of a problem.

FAQs

How can I use "lessen the challenge" in a sentence?

You can use "lessen the challenge" to describe actions taken to make a task or situation easier. For example, "Implementing new software can "lessen the challenge" of data management".

What are some alternatives to "lessen the challenge"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "reduce the difficulty", "ease the burden", or "mitigate the impact".

Is it better to say "lessen the challenge" or "reduce the challenge"?

Both "lessen the challenge" and "reduce the challenge" are grammatically correct and have similar meanings. The choice depends on personal preference and the specific nuance you want to convey. "Lessen" might suggest a gradual reduction, while "reduce" implies a more direct decrease.

What's the difference between "lessen the challenge" and "overcome the challenge"?

"Lessen the challenge" implies making the challenge easier to handle, while "overcome the challenge" suggests completely conquering or resolving the challenge. They represent different levels of dealing with a problem.