to make something less severe, shocking, or offensive
to make the colour, flavour etc of something less strong
MPs have been ordered to tone down their criticisms of government policy in the run-up to the election.
Malone tried to tone down the pity in his voice: `I don't think he'll be back at all, Mrs Malloy.
She checked her complexion, feathering in the edges of her eye make-up and dabbing her lips on a tissue to tone down the gloss.
She was such a flamboyant personality that she'd have had an awful struggle trying to tone down her handwriting.
Somebody needed some plastic surgery to tone down their facial features.
tones down
toning down
toned down
There is no origin for this phrasal verb
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