tone (down)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tone (down)
Verb
  • When hatred is this blatant, and the response from institutions and leaders is muted or muddled, something foundational is eroding. Antisemitism has always been a threat, but its resurgence, and frightening acceptance, in mainstream American life is dangerous and disorienting.
    Larry Hogan, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2025
  • That said, any impact the jobs report had on the stock market was muted.
    Paolo Confino, Fortune, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • After California voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978 to limit property taxes — and later Proposition 209 in 1996 banning affirmative action — Democrats sought ways to blunt or undo their impact through legislation and legal challenges.
    Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 30 May 2025
  • Best Buy already increased prices on some items to blunt the costs from tariffs, with changes taking effect by mid-May, CEO Corie Barry said on a call with reporters.
    Melissa Repko, CNBC, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • As of February, staffers from DOGE had pushed top-ranking officials at the Department of Education out of their offices, rearranged the furniture and set up white noise machines to muffle their voices, according to employees at the agency.
    Lora Kolodny,Ari Levy, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Congressional push-back is inevitable, but the promise of tens of thousands of U.S. jobs can muffle many speeches.
    Guney Yildiz, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • These products can also cause buildup and dull your hair.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 May 2025
  • The edge gap is the widening space between marketing strategies that sharpen a brand’s competitive edge and those dulled by algorithmic automation, uniform targeting and the rinse-and-repeat logic of platform and industry best practice.
    Liam Wade, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • With Bayern aiming to reduce their wage bill, the Wirtz signing would have come at the cost of at least an extra €20million (£16.8m, $22.7m) per year, on top of a transfer fee somewhere between €100m and €150m.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • Their original sentences, which were 12 years and seven years, respectively, were reduced in September 2023.
    Esther Kang, People.com, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • These students, many already at an educational disadvantage, are left with instability, fewer learning opportunities and decreased academic performance.
    Lakeisha Wells Palmer, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025
  • As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • Cool compresses: Applying a clean, cool, and damp washcloth to the rash for five to 10 minutes can bring relief.
    Alisa Hrustic, SELF, 9 Apr. 2025
  • To prevent damping off, avoid overwatering and never let the trays or containers stand in water for any length of time.
    Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Freshman Matthew Smith, who joined the club last fall, did not let being in the water dampen his enthusiasm for sailing.
    Susan DeGrane, Chicago Tribune, 23 May 2025
  • He was sentenced to nine days in jail, but his new film suggests that the experience has by no means dampened the fire in his filmmaking.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 22 May 2025
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

“Tone (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tone%20%28down%29. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.

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