tones (down)

verb

present tense third-person singular of tone (down)
as in tapers (off)

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tones (down)
  1. decreases
  2. muffles
  3. blunts
  4. numbs
  5. reduces
  6. mutes
  7. diminishes
  8. damps
Verb
  • Splitting the shot up decreases vaccination rates and leaves children unprotected over a longer period, experts say.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • When employees actively participate in shaping the policies that govern their day-to-day experience, engagement rises and turnover decreases.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of decreases
Verb
  • Although the snow sometimes muffles the thunder, the lightning can be seen, said meteorologist Grant Gilmore, formerly of WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
Definition of muffles
Verb
  • But Democrats are celebrating the decision, which blunts some of the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year allowing more coordinated spending between parties and candidates.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • And that success blunts the effectiveness of what the Iranians are trying to do at the Strait of Hormuz.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of blunts
Verb
  • The slime of some species also numbs an attacker’s tongue, protecting them from predators.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
  • This is the type of consistency that numbs fans from their love of the game.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of numbs
Verb
  • There is a possibility that the strengthening El Niño weather event creates a mild early winter in northeast Asia which reduces demand, Drinkwater said.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The faster process reduces energy which is lost as waste heat.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of reduces
Verb
  • The boom automatically mutes the microphone when lifted and can answer incoming calls simply by being lowered.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Using a vegetable peeler, shave a modest amount of Parmesan onto a plate (a mound of grated Parmesan may look impressive, but all that clumpy cheese mutes the dressing).
    — Sue Li, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 June 2026
Definition of mutes
Verb
  • Once the journey time increases, the value proposition diminishes and the project is less likely to succeed.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The Congressional Budget Office estimates that for every dollar added to the deficit, private investment loses 33 cents, which diminishes economic growth and wages over time.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of diminishes
Verb
  • Ash wood damps the micro-vibrations of rough urban pavement in a way aluminum and steel can't match without extra engineering.
    — Omar Kardoudi April 15, New Atlas, 15 Apr. 2026
  • While the standard model damps the road irregularities, the S feels more glued down, even in its softest setting, Sport.
    — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of damps
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

tones
tones (down)
tones (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tones (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tones%20%28down%29. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All