tone down

Verb

tone down (third-person singular simple present tones down, present participle toning down, simple past and past participle toned down)

1. (ambitransitive) To relax; to make quieter or less obtrusive; to make milder.
   • Ask them to tone down that orange and pink color scheme a bit.
   • I hope they’ll tone it down and stop arguing so much.

   Antonyms:

   tone up

2. (ambitransitive, figuratively) To moderate or relax; to diminish or weaken the striking characteristics of; to soften.
   • The best method for the purpose in hand was to employ some one of a character and position suited to get possession of their confidence, and then use it to tone down their religious strictness, and, if circumstances should favor, to disturb the ecclesiastical constitution which they had set up.1858, John Gorham Palfrey, chapter VI, in History of New England during the Stuart Dynasty. […], volume I, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown, and Company, →OCLC, book I, page 218
   • “Well, I posted it, and I wouldn’t have posted it if I didn’t kind of believe it,” said Mr. Prevost, who added that he would “probably tone it down” now that his brother was the Vicar of Jesus Christ.2025 May 13, Richard Fausset, quoting Louis Prevost, “The Pope’s Florida Brother, a MAGA Disciple, Plans to ‘Tone It Down’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
3. (ambitransitive) To make a television program, piece of writing, etc. less offensive and so more suitable for a family audience.