tempering

verb

present participle of temper
1
as in annealing

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2
as in softening

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempering
  1. annealing
  2. softening
  3. hardening
  4. moderating
  5. toughening
  6. lightening
  7. mitigating
  8. alleviating
Verb
  • The telecom giant plans to use D-Wave’s quantum annealing technology to tackle complex optimization problems across its network operations.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026
  • Over the next five years, real value will come from applying quantum principles, such as annealing and probabilistic optimization, to supply chains, finance and logistics before fault-tolerant quantum arrives.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Definition of annealing
Verb
  • Even as Democrats target his Virginia district to capitalize on a favorable 2026 environment, McGuire is doing the opposite of Republicans in some competitive races, who are softening their ties to Trump.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This all lends itself to a softening market for fashion and apparel — even the most loyal customers are pulling back.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • The specifications hardening around agents are careful about this line.
    — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • September is near the end of the season, so avoid high-nitrogen doses, which can interfere with tuber hardening and storage.
    — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of hardening
Verb
  • With decades of experience, the ABC World News Tonight and 20/20 journalist and anchor has done it all — from moderating presidential debates, to interviewing world leaders as well as bringing light to humanitarian crises.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • If live sports are the only thing preventing the bundle from vanishing outright, a stable virtual MVPD market has gone a long way toward moderating the overall losses in the pay-TV space.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of moderating
Verb
  • Greece’s conservative government has been toughening its migration policies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The tender side of Strout is her hopefulness—and that may be toughening up.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Definition of toughening
Verb
  • But lightening the blame hits a road bump with the word prevention.
    — Marie Lisette Rimer, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • When temperatures exceed 110°F, passenger planes must consider lightening their loads.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of lightening
Verb
  • Michael Buschbacher, a partner at the law firm Boyden Gray, said states do now and will still have authority over mitigating climate change and greenhouse gas emissions within their own borders.
    — Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The company did not explain its decision, but the antibiotic — a three-drug combination injection — was pegged from the outset as a treatment of last resort by the Food and Drug Administration in hopes of mitigating antibiotic resistance.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of mitigating
Verb
  • These turnovers also set up touchdowns, alleviating the pent-up stress of the first half.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Fostering gives cats a temporary home on the way to adoption, alleviating stress on shelters and, in some instances, saving cats’ lives.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of alleviating
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Tempering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempering. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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