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Prepositions after verbs

Reduce to vs reduce by

Use reduce to for the final level or result, and reduce by for the amount of change.

Quick answer

When to use reduce to or reduce by

Reduce to describes the new level after a decrease. Reduce by describes the amount or percentage of the decrease.

The company reduced costs to $2 million last year.
The company reduced costs by 15% last year.
The storm reduced visibility to almost zero.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
reduce to + final amount

Showing the new level after reduction

Use reduce to when you state the final number, size, or condition.

They reduced the price to $50.
The medicine reduced her fever to a normal level.
2
reduce by + amount

Showing the size of the decrease

Use reduce by when you state how much something decreased.

We reduced energy use by 20%.
The store reduced all prices by ten dollars.
3
reduce someone to + condition

Describing an emotional or physical result

Reduce to can describe a person ending in a particular state.

The speech reduced him to tears.
Years of stress reduced her to exhaustion.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
reduce to
The staff was reduced to five people.
shows the final number or condition
reduce by
The staff was reduced by five people.
shows the amount of decrease
reduce from ... to ...
Sales fell from $10,000 to $8,000.
shows both the starting and ending levels

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using to for the amount of change

Use by for the size of the decrease, not to.

✕ Sales were reduced to 10%. ✓ Sales were reduced by 10%.

Using by for the final result

Use to when you mention the final level.

✕ The price was reduced by $50 total. ✓ The price was reduced to $50.

Missing the object after reduce

Reduce usually needs an object in active sentences.

✕ They reduced by 15%. ✓ They reduced costs by 15%.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The company reduced expenses ___ 12% this quarter.
2. The team was reduced ___ three members after the merger.
3. The announcement reduced her ___ tears.

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Frequently asked questions

Can reduce to describe a final condition?

Yes. It can describe a final state, number, or emotional condition.

Can I use reduce by with percentages?

Yes. Reduce by is common with percentages and amounts.

What is the difference between reduce to and reduce by?

Reduce to focuses on the result after the change, while reduce by focuses on the amount of change.

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