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
Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 9 June 2026
There is a moderate risk of dangerous rip currents at all area beaches.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 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
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 6 June 2026
Far from moderating political passions, Freneau stoked hatred of his political rivals, the Federalists, and their leader, Alexander Hamilton, even publishing an anti-Semitic poem comparing Hamilton’s work at the Treasury Department to that of Jewish moneylenders.
—Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Adjective
If you're headed to the beach to beat the heat, there is a moderate risk of rip currents, and the UV index will be very high.
—Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 9 June 2026
There is a moderate risk of dangerous rip currents at all area beaches.
—Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 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
Although Jimmy Fallon was expected to moderate the evening’s panel, Anderson Cooper was announced moments before the screening as a last-minute replacement, which was greeted with roaring cheers from the mostly gay men in the audience.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 6 June 2026
Far from moderating political passions, Freneau stoked hatred of his political rivals, the Federalists, and their leader, Alexander Hamilton, even publishing an anti-Semitic poem comparing Hamilton’s work at the Treasury Department to that of Jewish moneylenders.
—Jeffrey Rosen, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moderate
Adjective
-
Just under 300,000 years from the moment Homo sapiens appeared in Africa, the species had encircled Earth, mastering desolate deserts and frozen wastelands and all the temperate climes in between.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
4 June 2026
-
The evolutionary solution, for most temperate insects, is to use the light signal as the primary trigger and treat temperature as a secondary modifier.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Jackson’s foster-care-to-billionaire biography has been central to his campaign.—
Shannon McCaffrey,
AJC.com,
10 June 2026
-
Take the gentrified monstrosity that is Ikseondong, another central Seoul neighborhood that once anchored the gay community.—
Anton Hur,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
In 2012, the average American adult shifted focus after 74 seconds; today, that’s down to 47 seconds.—
Christian Perry,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is particularly true for people with mild hypertension or those whose blood pressure has just started creeping into the elevated range.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
12 June 2026
-
For mild cases, over-the-counter topical antifungals can work well.—
Leslie Baumann,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
In the end, voters selected Bass, a Democratic centrist, and democratic socialist City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who ran to Bass’ left, to face off in the runoff.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
But that doesn’t sit well with centrists, who continue to see China as an existential rival.—
Missy Ryan,
The Atlantic,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
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According to 2025 research from McKinsey & Company's Women in the Workplace report, women remain significantly underrepresented at the highest levels of leadership, with representation decreasing at each step up the corporate ladder.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
When a court issues a domestic violence protective order, federal law prohibits the restrained person from possessing a gun.—
Sativa Banks,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
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Though America’s founders, of course, did not always live up to these ideals themselves, this early reform shows us that American justice was meant to be resolute, principled, and restrained.—
Ana Zamora,
Time,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Affordable housing is usually for people making up to 80% of the area’s median income, and workforce housing is usually for people making up to 120%.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
12 June 2026
-
Livability reports that the median home value in Carmel is $477,625, while the median monthly rent is $1,457.—
Dobrina Zhekova,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moderate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderate. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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