variants
also low-keyed
as in subdued
not excessively showy
hoping to make a good impression, he deliberately chose a low-key tie with a subtle pattern
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of low-key
Where to stay on the North Fork Its largest town, Greenport, offers a low-key alternative to flashier Long Island escapes like the Hamptons.
—
Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 2025
At the beginning of this finale, the two main pairings (Will-Sylvia and Sylvia-Charlie) are both at odds in appropriately low-key ways.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
The best of these low-key spots in Canada, at least according to a January 2025 study led by Jackpot City, an online casino, is Mt. Maichen Ski Hill.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2025
Also, this is low-key the premise of the movie Simone?
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for low-key
Sarah Buder, AFAR Media, 2 Oct. 2025
At the beginning of this finale, the two main pairings (Will-Sylvia and Sylvia-Charlie) are both at odds in appropriately low-key ways.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
The best of these low-key spots in Canada, at least according to a January 2025 study led by Jackpot City, an online casino, is Mt. Maichen Ski Hill.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2025
Also, this is low-key the premise of the movie Simone?
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for low-key
Recent Examples of Synonyms for low-key
Adjective
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Economists see an uptick in hiring, though still at a subdued level.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
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Eventually the euphoria of the moment started giving way to subdued appreciation.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The scenes at these restaurants may appear like a snapshot of Rome during La Dolce Vita rather than modern day Milan, where understated chic and a slice of northern Italian chill is on the menu du jour.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
10 Oct. 2025
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Now the Bank of England is throwing around the B-word, albeit in the understated style typical of a central bank.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That would include gun-violence restraining orders and domestic violence protective orders, which are among several kinds of orders that compel a restrained person to surrender firearms.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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This would make the policy more fiscally restrained but less universal.—
Christopher Robertson,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Yet in reality, Knape explains, early color filmmaking methods didn’t do well with semi-clear substances like (pseudo)blood, or with muted colors.—
Mark Hay,
Popular Science,
9 Oct. 2025
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Hudson’s strapless gown featured a muted sky blue tone with silver motifs throughout.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Antinori, who has worked in top-tier hotel bars across Europe, has eschewed the complexity of modern mixology in favor of straightforward, unpretentious tipples that spotlight quality local ingredients.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
9 Oct. 2025
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Skylark Negril Beach Resort was the ideal backdrop for dreams to take shape: vibrant yet unpretentious, a space steeped in Jamaican soul.—
Essence,
Essence,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Strufe adds that while intelligence agencies or cybercriminals have simpler ways to monitor people – such as accessing CCTV cameras or video doorbells – the widespread presence of wireless networks could eventually form a near-comprehensive surveillance infrastructure.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
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The simplest way to find influential people in a network is called degree centrality—just count the number of connections for each person.—
Jack Murtagh,
Scientific American,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Hours after the deal’s announcement, videos posted on social media by correspondents and Unicef spokesperson James Elder in Gaza showed a relatively quiet night sky, a rare occurrence in an enclave that has faced incessant bombardments for just over two years.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
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When Venus journeys through Virgo, affection looks like cooking a meal for someone, fixing what’s broken or showing up in quiet, consistent ways.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Most major news brands decline Pentagon censorship rules A dozen or more major media companies, including conservative-leaning newsrooms, have refused to sign a pledge to only report officially approved news from the Pentagon.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
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The figures were crunched by researchers at the Institute for Legislative Analysis (ILA), an organization closely affiliated with the Institute for Legislative Advocacy, a conservative group that promotes smaller government.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Low-key.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/low-key. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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