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moderate

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noun

as in centrist
a person who holds moderate views to the community's detriment, moderates were often shouted down at town meetings by the local hotheads

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

moderate

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verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of moderate
Adjective
Lighter scratches only touch the surface while moderate to deep scratches can usually be felt by sticking your fingernail in the slit to determine how deep the scratch really is. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025 The team prioritized people with the PIK3CA gene mutation, as well as people with other moderate or high impact variants in PIK3R1 and PTEN. New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
There’s the usual skew with those expressing preference for a mix of sources being 52% for Democrats, 64% for Moderates, and 91% for Republicans; the numbers by ideology at 47% for Liberals, 71% for moderates, and 92% for conservatives. Robert G. Eccles, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Most politicians, Democrat, Republicans, liberals, moderates and conservatives fold if they are subjected to enough pressure from activists and progressives. Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Preliminary post-fire assessments indicate that the effects of the fire within the groves were low to moderate, with some beneficial outcomes. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025 Kurt's key takeaways The calls to remove videos of Charlie Kirk's death highlight the challenges of moderating violence online. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for moderate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moderate
Adjective
  • These temperate, food-rich waters are a buffet for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, drawing them in to chase down mullet, menhaden, and other small fish.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
  • People, including sailors or builders, who worked jobs that kept them solvent during temperate weather, might be left wageless as winter approached.
    Time, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As Milchick, Tillman infused an unnerving cheerfulness into Lumon Industries’ macrodata refinement supervisor, a character who became increasingly central in Season 2.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Jones detailed new de-icing equipment, dedicated crews, and a central dashboard so all departments can see in real-time how their decisions impact the entire network.
    Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • That is, with Venus and earth-like planets at habitable distances from their stars as well as gas giants orbiting at Jupiter-like distances (which in our solar system’s case is 5 astronomical units), or five times the average distance between the Earth and sun.
    Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The system yields superior thermoelectric performance and higher average ZT values than previously reported p-type AgCuTe materials.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • LaViola agrees, adding that the mild climate and general friendly atmosphere of the Raleigh-Durham area are also desirable factors.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 14 Sep. 2025
  • This can pick up some milder forms of cognitive impairment but again is not a fully, extensive assessment.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The election, which was re-run in May was ultimately won by pro-European centrist Nicusor Dan.
    Reuters, NBC news, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Ross, one of the Democrats to decline AIPAC money, is a relative centrist, according to a GovTrack scorecard, while Foushee and McGarvey, Kentucky’s only House Democrat, are in the middle of the pack ideologically.
    David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Spaying a female pet prevents uterine infections and greatly decreases the risk of breast tumors.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Even with aggressive climate action that drastically decreases fossil fuel burning, the primary driver of global warming, smoke levels are likely to increase substantially, doubling by the middle of the century.
    Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Climate scientists have long been vexed by the disconnect between the dire warnings blared by their models and the restrained policies enacted by world leaders.
    Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • There is nothing restrained about the family room, with brick walls that feature a bright splash of chartreuse (Benjamin Moore’s Wasabi, AF-430).
    Jeanne Lyons Davis, Southern Living, 14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The median annual salary for dispatchers is around $50,000, which may be decent on paper but falls short when weighed against the emotional and cognitive demands of the job.
    Jason Truppi, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
  • With median home prices around $232,500 and rents around $1,000, Amarillo offers budget-friendly options for those looking for an active lifestyle.
    Gabi De la Rosa, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Moderate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderate. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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