abate
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.
curtail
The definition for curtail is "To make less." Used in a sentence: Doreen decided to curtail her spending after she bounced a check.
futile
The definition for futile is "Without purpose, completely ineffective." Used in a sentence: Arguing with Andrew is futile because he never changes his mind.
prune
The definition for prune is "To reduce by removing excess." Used in a sentence: The candidate pruned his speech so he would not exceed the time limit.
repel
The definition for repel is "To resist, reject." Used in a sentence: The soldiers made a massive charge to repel the invaders.