toned-down 1 of 2

toned (down)

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tone (down)

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of toned (down)
Verb
Ortega’s hair extensions were removed and her eye makeup was toned-down, which gave way to her effortlessly exhausted countenance. Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 6 Aug. 2025 Its colorful striped pattern is toned-down ever so slightly by a pair of fashion flip-flops from Massimo Dutti and Haight’s chestnut-colored swimsuit. Laura Jackson, Vogue, 4 July 2024 For her, that meant toned-down, muted pinks and mauve desert tones. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024 Perhaps another reason is that, with the exception of a few suits, men’s looks at the Grammys largely were underwhelming, and that may have also been the result of wanting to look more toned-down out of respect for victims of the wildfires. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toned (down)
Adjective
  • Yet in reality, Knape explains, early color filmmaking methods didn’t do well with semi-clear substances like (pseudo)blood, or with muted colors.
    Mark Hay, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Hudson’s strapless gown featured a muted sky blue tone with silver motifs throughout.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The summer noise of saplings and shrubs and bug nests and grass and flowers had been muffled by the snow.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
  • This is the perfect opportunity for the Business Roundtable to advocate for its members in a forceful, direct challenge to the administration, but it has been perplexingly muffled.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Economists see an uptick in hiring, though still at a subdued level.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Eventually the euphoria of the moment started giving way to subdued appreciation.
    Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Hours after the deal’s announcement, videos posted on social media by correspondents and Unicef spokesperson James Elder in Gaza showed a relatively quiet night sky, a rare occurrence in an enclave that has faced incessant bombardments for just over two years.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
  • When Venus journeys through Virgo, affection looks like cooking a meal for someone, fixing what’s broken or showing up in quiet, consistent ways.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That would include gun-violence restraining orders and domestic violence protective orders, which are among several kinds of orders that compel a restrained person to surrender firearms.
    Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
  • This would make the policy more fiscally restrained but less universal.
    Christopher Robertson, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In early January, the restuarant closed for two weeks to regroup after sales decreased by 37%.
    Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Drake claimed the single irreparably damaged his reputation and decreased his brand’s value.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The scenes at these restaurants may appear like a snapshot of Rome during La Dolce Vita rather than modern day Milan, where understated chic and a slice of northern Italian chill is on the menu du jour.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Now the Bank of England is throwing around the B-word, albeit in the understated style typical of a central bank.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In return, the US has reduced tariffs on Japanese goods, including cars, to a baseline of 15%.
    Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • All spending was re-evaluated, vendor contracts renegotiated, staffing reduced and space consolidated to save maintenance costs.
    Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Toned (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toned%20%28down%29. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

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