1
as in temperate
avoiding extremes in behavior or expression
he was only a moderate drinker, generally stopping after a couple of glasses of wine
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in central
avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas
the principal's moderate position on cell phones is that students can use them at school but only for emergencies
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3
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size
a moderate snowfall was forecast for the region
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4
as in mild
marked by temperatures that are neither too high nor too low
a city that is celebrated for its moderate climate
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as in centrist
a person who holds moderate views
to the community's detriment, moderates were often shouted down at town meetings by the local hotheads
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as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the wind began to moderate as the night wore on
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of moderate
Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2026
Political odd couple Mamdani and Tisch are somewhat of a political odd couple — the commissioner has made no secret of her more moderate views, and she was appointed by ex-Mayor Adams, whose influence Mamdani has sought to scrub from his own City Hall.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026
Bruce Sibley, Time, 29 May 2026
Lastly, the report did absolutely nothing to soothe the battle between progressives and moderates.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 June 2026
Studiously moderated, but excited, voices amplified news of the actual invasion of Europe read hastily in Orlando Morning Sentinel.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Adjective
Lamont, a fiscal moderate, has forced big surpluses to pay down Connecticut’s legacy pension debt, tens of billions amassed over 70 years prior to 2011.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2026
Political odd couple Mamdani and Tisch are somewhat of a political odd couple — the commissioner has made no secret of her more moderate views, and she was appointed by ex-Mayor Adams, whose influence Mamdani has sought to scrub from his own City Hall.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026
Noun
And voters reinforce the cycle, rewarding the most partisan candidates and punishing moderates in primary after primary.
—Bruce Sibley, Time, 29 May 2026
Lastly, the report did absolutely nothing to soothe the battle between progressives and moderates.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
Verb
Ending the war in Iran will help to moderate inflation, but the worst is likely still to come for rising food prices.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 June 2026
Studiously moderated, but excited, voices amplified news of the actual invasion of Europe read hastily in Orlando Morning Sentinel.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moderate
Adjective
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These grasses thrive in cooler climates, though some can be found in the Southern states (especially in the temperate Upper South), including the following species.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
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Those in temperate regions can keep it in a pot that's brought indoors for winter.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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The measure performed best in central and west Davis, continuing the pattern established on election night.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
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Haaland, a 6-foot-5 striker who pulls his blond hair into a signature tight ponytail, has been central to that success, scoring more than 100 goals in four seasons.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Conversely, the department said its review of medical school admissions data from 2023 to 2025 found that 93% of white and certain Asian applicants had MCAT scores at or above those of the average Black student.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
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JioHotstar serves more than 500 million monthly average users and carries a library of over 300,000 hours of programming across 19 languages.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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When burned, the wood produces a rich, aromatic smoke due to high lignin levels, which imparts a more intense flavor than oak or hickory, with earthy cumin undertones and a mild sweetness.—
Von Diaz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Dec. 2025
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It’s finished with spinach and paired with the sticky, mild fufu.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Most of the Republicans vocalizing their disagreements are retiring, represent competitive districts or are perennial centrists.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
9 Dec. 2025
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Talarico is studying to be a Presbyterian minister and often infuses his faith into political arguments, which centrists believe can capture independent Texas voters and some Republicans.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Australian Transport Safety Bureau The pilot, unaware of what had happened, felt the aircraft suddenly pitch up, and noticed the airspeed rapidly decreasing.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
12 Dec. 2025
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The move continues a new approach to homelessness under Mayor Kevin McCarty and Brian Pedro, the director for the Department of Community Response, amid an ongoing budget deficit and decreased state funding.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The ones made by Graf Lantz have a tidy, contemporary look that plays well with both bold and restrained design preferences, and come in an expressive melange of colors and shapes.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Nov. 2025
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Nicholas Anzalone and Anthony Farina, guards at Marcy Correctional Facility in New York who faced a murder charge before pleading guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter, were sentenced to 22 years in prison for their role in the beating death of a restrained detainee.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In August, Google disclosed in a paper co-authored by Vahdat that the amount of energy used to run the median prompt on its AI models was equivalent to watching less than nine seconds of television and consuming five drops of water.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
10 Dec. 2025
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The annual household income needed to qualify for a mortgage on a mid-tier California home was about $237,000 in June 2025, a recent analysis found – over twice the state’s median household income.—
Ivis Garcia,
Fortune,
10 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moderate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderate. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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