take the sting out of

1. Lessen the severity or unpleasantness of something, as in That senior citizen discount took the sting out of the airfares. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

If the U.S. would supply Ukraine with just one of the Terminal High-Altitude Air Defense batteries that we keep in reserve for contingency operations — the same technology being sent to Israel to counter Iranian missiles — Kyiv could take the sting out of Moscow’s longer-range ballistic missile threats.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Opener Maia Bouchier struggled as South Africa dominated the powerplay, before Alice Capsey - who was dropped on nought - added a dynamic 19 to take the sting out of the Proteas' attack, before the experienced duo's match-winning partnership of 64.

Read more on BBC

The bank held off on any unscheduled returning of excess capital to shareholders, following a 750 million pound buyback in July that helped take the sting out of disappointing half-year results.

Read more on Reuters

President Joe Biden told President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday that he looks forward to the day he can welcome the war-torn country to NATO, aiming to take the sting out of recent comments that now was not the time for Ukrainian membership in the military alliance.

Read more on Reuters

And the court’s granting of religious exemptions to people who oppose gay marriage, along with last year’s Dobbs decision, may take the sting out of some social issues for conservatives.

Read more on New York Times

Related Words

• abate 
• allay 
• alleviate 
• assuage 
• cool 
• curb 
• dilute 
• ease 
• lessen 
• mitigate 
• mollify 
• restrain 
• soften 
• soothe 
• tone down 
• weaken