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
  • Pressing the reset button will mute the alarm for one minute, and a long press (10 seconds) will reset and restart the sensor.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Shot on England’s coasts and countryside, the film favors muted costumes, no makeup and quiet, lingering scenes, presenting Austen’s young women as emotionally immediate and recognizably modern.
    — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of mute
Verb
  • Paxton needs to run up the score in west Texas while Talarico seeks to blunt his advantage in the region while racking up big margins in the state’s sprawling metro areas of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Modern interceptor missile technology has advanced to the point where even massive, multi-tiered attacks can be blunted with a high degree of probability.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of blunt
Verb
  • 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
  • After two hours of practice, with the 10-foot-tall fences doing little to muffle the bullhorn orders and corresponding groans, the huddle broke and the personalities sprung to life.
    — Noah White, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of muffle
Verb
  • Some cleaners can dull the floor’s finish, cause damage, or leave streaks.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The primary effects generally wear off in less than an hour, but a person’s senses may remain dulled and their judgment and coordination impaired for several hours afterward.
    — Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dull
Verb
  • Integrating the interceptor into existing launch infrastructure could reduce the need for extensive equipment changes.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • People can donate clean costumes and pick a new one, reducing waste and the resources and emissions required to make new ones.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of reduce
Verb
  • Telecom stocks — Shares of AT & T and T-Mobile fell more than 5% each, while Verizon shares decreased 1% on a Bloomberg News report that SpaceX is in private talks to lease 80,000 cell towers.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • As technology has advanced, launch costs have decreased, and satellites have become more efficient, smaller and cheaper to build.
    — David Zamora, Space.com, 23 Oct. 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
  • Will the mood be dampened by recent criticism of the organization?
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Playing the contrarian to the Federal Reserve’s plans to stimulate or dampen the economy only ends badly.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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