tone (down)

verb

Definition of tone (down)next
as in to mute

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tone (down)
  1. mute
  2. blunt
  3. muffle
  4. dull
  5. reduce
  6. decrease
  7. damp
  8. dampen
Verb
  • Slow breathing can mute the response by sending signals to parts of the brain that control your heart and blood vessels.
    — MD Published, Verywell Health, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Digging deeper into the quarter, beer category growth remains muted, partly due to the rise of GLP-1 drugs, which reduce cravings for alcohol as well as food.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of mute
Verb
  • Other teams are determined to blunt the impact of a unit that racked up 131 sacks over the past two seasons.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Yet the gerrymandering push did little to blunt the Democratic wave.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of blunt
Verb
  • Scooter jockeys zip through crowds with the music in their ears muffling pedestrians’ protests.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The sullen tribute to Payne settled the room into a cool near-silence, punctured by quiet gasps and muffled crying.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of muffle
Verb
  • Essentially, the toothpaste gently smooths the area around the scratch, dulling its appearance—much like a gentle polish.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 30 Oct. 2026
  • How To Avoid Scissor-Dulling Practices Scissors will dull with time, but there are some practices that will speed up the wear and tear.
    — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of dull
Verb
  • Others accused the governor of reducing the death penalty sentences to seek an advantage in the 2028 presidential election.
    — Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Limiting electric boost primarily to these high-power phases reduces the amount of battery capacity—and battery weight—the aircraft must carry.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • Arrange turkey pieces on rack, skin side up, and let sit at room temperature up to 2 hours to help decrease the cooking time.
    — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Last but not least is Life Reset (around $18,000), which aims to decrease stress and rebalance the nervous system.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of decrease
Verb
  • The first two days are likely to feature weather interruptions and damp conditions suited to bowlers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Suspension is taken care of by 43-mm upside-down forks with adjustable rebound and compression damping, and an adjustable central spring strut at the rear.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of damp
Verb
  • Such setbacks have not dampened demand for Neutron's services, however.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Almost without exception, though, the music’s impact is dampened when those bands attempt wholesale departures from metal.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of dampen
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.

Browse Nearby Words

toned (down)
tone (down)
toned (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Tone (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tone%20%28down%29. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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