The definition for abate is "Become less in amount or intensity." Used in a sentence: Just when it seemed the rain would never stop, the storm suddenly began to abate.

The definition for curtail is "To make less." Used in a sentence: Doreen decided to curtail her spending after she bounced a check.

The definition for demean is "To lower status." Used in a sentence: The embarrassing photograph demeaned the candidate in the eyes of the voters.

The definition for nurture is "To further the development of." Used in a sentence: Our cat made a nest of blankets to nurture her newborn kittens.

The definition for placebo is "An inactive substance used in medical testing." Used in a sentence: Tom, who had taken the placebo, found that his allergy symptoms did not go away.