take the edge off

phrase

: to make (something) weaker or less severe

a medication that takes the edge off the pain

A glass of milk will take the edge off your hunger/appetite.

Examples of take the edge off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Summer is also the hottest time of year, though cooling northerly winds can take the edge off. — Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2026

But by the mid-1930s, Soviet leaders sensed that people needed something to take the edge off in the dead of winter, a carnivalesque custom of the sort that Christmas once provided. — Andrew Fedorov, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025

Hot cocoa, tea or coffee can take the edge off the chill, as well as provide a slight stimulus. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 12 Dec. 2025

Gift sets are available that include various gear options, as well as a bottle of whiskey to take the edge off. — Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for take the edge off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff