tone down

British  

verb

1. (adverb) to moderate or become moderated in tone

   to tone down an argument

   to tone down a bright colour

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tone down Idioms  

1. Make less vivid, harsh, or violent; moderate. For example, That's a little too much rouge; I'd tone it down a bit, or Do you think I should tone down this letter of complaint? This idiom uses tone in the sense of “adjust the tone or quality of something,” as does the antonym, tone up, meaning “brighten or strengthen.” For example, These curtains will tone up the whole room, or This exercise is said to tone up the triceps. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Bollywood, the world’s biggest movie industry, is toning down its lavish productions as India endures one of the planet’s worst COVID-19 outbreaks.

From Los Angeles Times

Putin toned down his language after first falsely claiming that such rounds have nuclear components, but he insisted they pose an additional danger to the civilian population and could contaminate the environment.

From Seattle Times

Sounds, too, have been toned down, so Toontown remains full of appealing and distracting noises.

From Los Angeles Times

The remake also tones down the original’s outlandish puzzles, giving us ones that make a bit more logical sense.

From Washington Post

There are other signs the State Department is toning down criticism of China.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• dampen
• dim
• mitigate
• modulate
• play down
• restrain
• soften
• temper