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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
In a lighter configuration carrying about 3,000 pounds, Comet can travel up to 1,000 nautical miles at speeds near 40 knots in moderate sea conditions.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Pegah Banihashemi, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Flexible moderates, roughly 35% of the survey’s respondents, are a middle-of-the-road group without strong political or religious motivations.
—George E. Mitchell, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
Huddlestun, Ennis and Allyson Straka, founder of Frozen Garden, participated in a panel discussion moderated by Day.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Adjective
The moderate’s vision may even be the harder one to sustain, requiring a tolerance for frustration and an inurement to defeat and political disappointment.
—Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
In a lighter configuration carrying about 3,000 pounds, Comet can travel up to 1,000 nautical miles at speeds near 40 knots in moderate sea conditions.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Pragmatists and institutional moderates argue that Iran cannot endure indefinite isolation.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Flexible moderates, roughly 35% of the survey’s respondents, are a middle-of-the-road group without strong political or religious motivations.
—George E. Mitchell, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
Presented in partnership with GRX Immersive Labs and moderated by Alton Glass and King Willonius, the session offers a behind-the-scenes look at the workflows, tools, and techniques shaping this new era of storytelling.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
Huddlestun, Ennis and Allyson Straka, founder of Frozen Garden, participated in a panel discussion moderated by Day.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moderate
Adjective
-
During the temperate months, the lush atrium will be filled with an amalgam of well-heeled, work-from-home types and creative artists who likely live in the neighborhood.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The controversy stems from the fact that Mars seems to have had temperate climate periods with rain that deeply altered the rocks, as well as widespread rivers and lakes that persisted for potentially millions of years.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Thematic ambition, a sense of the something to be expressed beyond a central romance, rivalry, or farce, propels modern musical hits too, as in Hairspray, or Wicked, or (no duh) Hamilton.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
-
With the backing of payments giant Stripe, Tempo is attempting to become a central player in making stablecoins mainstream.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On average, the monthly benefit per household is about $350, and the average benefit per person is about $190.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Florida is also expected to face more above-average fire activity through at least June, when the summer’s rainy season ramps up to bring relieving downpours.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Manager Craig Counsell described this hamstring strain as mild, explaining Thielbar said this is a less-severe version of the ailment.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Fano is a big, athletic guy, but is a mild surprise as the first off the board.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The centrist frequently votes for Democratic amendments during legislative debates but, in the end, often supports the final Republican bill.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In reality, their centrist pandering to Republican colleagues in the Senate is deeply unpopular.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The elimination of prop bets would decrease revenue by more than $2 million per year, according to the fiscal note produced by the Legislative Council Staff.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
And while low-cost housing has decreased, rents have risen.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 24,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To the left is a relaxed deck for post-dip chilling; to the right is the beautifully restrained restaurant, partly enclosed in a glasshouse with an undulating canopy roof.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Neither restrained nor overpowering.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Housing Impact Fund, in its third wave of fundraising, now has $102 million to acquire, renovate and rent units for families making below 30% of the area median income up to 80% AMI.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 24,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In 2020, Liberty Park’s median household income was about 64% of the citywide figure — roughly $20,000 less per family, according to city data from the time.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moderate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderate. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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