toning (down)

verb

present participle of tone (down)
as in tapering (off)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toning (down)
  1. decreasing
  2. muffling
  3. blunting
  4. reducing
Verb
  • The vaccines don’t block all flu infections but do help prevent the worst outcomes, decreasing older adults’ hospitalizations by 31%, according to the Vaccine Integrity Project, a public health group based at the University of Minnesota.
    — Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If the network of user devices is substantial enough, every job can be routed to a nearby device, decreasing the latency.
    — Dina Genkina, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of decreasing
Verb
  • The actress wears a toasty-looking fur hat and sits cross-legged on the floor, the Canadian road traffic muffling her voice slightly.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Patmos would divide the open warehouse space into smaller rooms, add pipes and support infrastructure and install sound-muffling materials.
    — Ilana Arougheti June 26, Kansas City Star, 26 June 2026
Definition of muffling
Verb
  • The law is aimed at blunting financial scams that often target older adults, which frequently include prompting victims to withdraw large sums of money at once.
    — Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Semaglutide can hook into this system, blunting the usual pleasure from eating high-fat and sugary treats.
    — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of blunting
Verb
  • Handles up improves safety and hygiene during unloading, avoiding contact with eating surfaces and reducing injury risk.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Gormley says lifestyle changes can also help, like reducing screen time and taking more breaks from screens throughout the day.
    — Maria Godoy, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of reducing
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

toning
toning (down)
toning (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Toning (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toning%20%28down%29. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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