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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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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as in temperance
an avoidance of extremes in one's actions, beliefs, or habits
the kind of person who does everything in moderation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of moderate
T'keyah Bazin, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2025
However, the current crop of general-purpose humanoids tends to target moderate loads, similar to an average person, because higher payloads complicate balance and actuator sizing.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Robert G. Eccles, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Most politicians, Democrat, Republicans, liberals, moderates and conservatives fold if they are subjected to enough pressure from activists and progressives.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood is set to keynote the 2025 Film Independent Forum in a conversation moderated by Lena Waithe.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
BlueSky is a microblogging platform that grew in popularity as an alternative to X after Elon Musk bought the latter and changed its algorithm and moderation policies such that fewer actions are taken in response to hateful content.
—Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Adjective
Aim to eventually be able to walk at a moderate pace for optimal benefit.
—T'keyah Bazin, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2025
However, the current crop of general-purpose humanoids tends to target moderate loads, similar to an average person, because higher payloads complicate balance and actuator sizing.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
There’s the usual skew with those expressing preference for a mix of sources being 52% for Democrats, 64% for Moderates, and 91% for Republicans; the numbers by ideology at 47% for Liberals, 71% for moderates, and 92% for conservatives.
—Robert G. Eccles, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Most politicians, Democrat, Republicans, liberals, moderates and conservatives fold if they are subjected to enough pressure from activists and progressives.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
The thrust of Rupert Murdoch’s case revolved around maintaining Fox as a conservative political media force by ensuring that Lachlan’s siblings wouldn’t be able to wrest control of the company from him and moderate its coverage.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood is set to keynote the 2025 Film Independent Forum in a conversation moderated by Lena Waithe.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
Political leaders might consider pushing social media companies to increase content moderation — a practice which declined in the wake of backlash over platforms censoring conservative stories and views during the pandemic and 2020 election.
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
BlueSky is a microblogging platform that grew in popularity as an alternative to X after Elon Musk bought the latter and changed its algorithm and moderation policies such that fewer actions are taken in response to hateful content.
—Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moderate
Adjective
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There are simply many times more people in temperate and tropical countries who may want to go cool for their holidays, than people in the north who have hitherto wanted to heat up during their vacations.—
Mattias Goldmann,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Autumn in this subtly shifting terrain brings temperate days for adventuring and arts festival-hopping — and cool nights for stargazing and firepit lounging.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As Milchick, Tillman infused an unnerving cheerfulness into Lumon Industries’ macrodata refinement supervisor, a character who became increasingly central in Season 2.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
15 Sep. 2025
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Jones detailed new de-icing equipment, dedicated crews, and a central dashboard so all departments can see in real-time how their decisions impact the entire network.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That is, the group enables Hamas to be both arsonist and firefighter, enhancing its control and reach into the lives of average, everyday Palestinians in Gaza.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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When users search for flights on Google Flights, the search engine will say if the fares or lower, higher or average for that route.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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LaViola agrees, adding that the mild climate and general friendly atmosphere of the Raleigh-Durham area are also desirable factors.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
-
This can pick up some milder forms of cognitive impairment but again is not a fully, extensive assessment.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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They’re formulated with hydrating ingredients designed to decrease puffiness and help with dark circles.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
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Darrow says the orchard’s acreage has decreased by half, mirroring the state’s overall decline since 2000.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Climate scientists have long been vexed by the disconnect between the dire warnings blared by their models and the restrained policies enacted by world leaders.—
Zack Savitsky,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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There is nothing restrained about the family room, with brick walls that feature a bright splash of chartreuse (Benjamin Moore’s Wasabi, AF-430).—
Jeanne Lyons Davis,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The median annual salary for dispatchers is around $50,000, which may be decent on paper but falls short when weighed against the emotional and cognitive demands of the job.—
Jason Truppi,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
-
With median home prices around $232,500 and rents around $1,000, Amarillo offers budget-friendly options for those looking for an active lifestyle.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Make sure to choose the cool water setting and a low-spin or gentle wash cycle, and add in gentle laundry detergent according to the load size on your machine.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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More serious collectors may prefer waddling to the local Cars & Coffee with an earlier VW, recalling a kinder, gentler, and far slower-paced time than our present age.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moderate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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