Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toning (down)
Verb
-
Over time, the theory goes, this will disrupt the reproduction cycle, thereby increasing competition and decreasing the overall population.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
4 June 2026 -
Following the trade, Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust will own 360 shares of DOV, decreasing its weighting in the portfolio to about 2% from 3%.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
The sound-muffling fabrics, carpets, ceiling tiles, tablecloths and rugs that used to decorate restaurants are deemed too stuffy these days, and even upholstered booths are being replaced by more barebones tables — and lots of them, close together.—
Allyson Reedy,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
-
Their flexible design fits snugly into ears, muffling plane engine sounds and loud conversations.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Simple steps like version pinning or requiring a cool-down period before new library releases are available to developers can go a very long way toward blunting the supply chain attacks that are about to become far more common.—
Philip Martin,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
-
South Africa’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in three years, in effect blunting a $1 billion fuel relief package designed to soften the blow of surging oil prices.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But after years of record investment by the state in such wildfire risk mitigation, two key money sources are drying up, potentially reducing the state’s annual budget for vegetation removal by hundreds of millions of dollars.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Although reducing carbon pollution, which stays in the atmosphere for hundreds of years, is key to tackling the climate crisis, slashing methane has been seen as something of a low-hanging fruit.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Toning (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toning%20%28down%29. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
