See also DECLINE.
cut
tr. to dilute something.She always cuts her eggnog with cola. Yuck!You can cut the saltiness with a little sugar.
put a damper on something
tr. to reduce the intensity of something, such as a problem.The death of the chief put a damper on the ceremony.I hate to put a damper on your party, but you are too loud!
shave
tr. to reduce or lessen something.They shaved the waiting time to six months.The coach thought that the other team was shaving points, so he complained the next day.