Cases of word usage

1) to cause winds, storms, floods, pain etc to become less (abate)

2) approximately; a little more or less than (about)

3) to make (fears, doubt) less strong (allay)

4) to make (pain, suffering) less or easier to bear (alleviate)

5) a sudden change from something exciting or important to something much less exciting or important (causing disappointment) (anticlimax)

6) to make (a person) less angry, calm (appease)

7) a heavenly body (looking like a star with a bright center) and a less bright tail that moves round the Sun (comet)

8) to act against and make another (action, force) less strong (counteract)

9) (an instance of) the state of being short of, less than, what is correct or needed (deficiency)

10) to cause (a person) to be less moral or less deserving of respect (degrade)