tone sth down
— phrasal verb with tone uk/təʊn/us/toʊn/verb [ T ] also tone up
to make something less forceful or offensive, usually a piece of writing or a speech:
Some of the language in the original play has been toned down for the television version.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Becoming and making less strong
- abate
- adulterate
- attenuate
- attrition
- blow over
- blunt
- deflate
- dial
- dim
- emasculate
- flagging
- jelly
- keep sb down
- knock/take the stuffing out of sb/sth idiom
- muffle
- neutralize
- pine
- sag
- shake
- wither on the vine idiom
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Becoming and making smaller or less