To have taken him would have been a serious affront to Blue-Thunder and would have diminished his standing in the eyes of the clan.

To be thus judged could only diminish Mr. Zhao's own standing as a reform leader.

The treaty did not create a formal military alliance between the Soviets and Lithuanians, but diminished Lithuania's standing as a neutral state.

There is no evidence that any of this has diminished Mr. Bush's standing with the public.

Trying to achieve that goal would only cause controversy and diminish his standing.

Traveling with children can also diminish one's professional standing, some suspect.

Not only does this handover of responsibility diminish the architect's standing, the lack of continuity may also compromise the quality of the project outcomes.

Excluding Israel is wrong, and it diminishes the Red Cross movement's moral standing.

Chapman's resultant poverty did not diminish his ability or his standing among his fellow Elizabethan poets and dramatists.

During the trial, public outrage at the treatment of the prisoners was seriously diminishing Batista's standing among the population.