1
as in temperate
avoiding extremes in behavior or expression
he was only a moderate drinker, generally stopping after a couple of glasses of wine
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in central
avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas
the principal's moderate position on cell phones is that students can use them at school but only for emergencies
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3
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size
a moderate snowfall was forecast for the region
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4
as in mild
marked by temperatures that are neither too high nor too low
a city that is celebrated for its moderate climate
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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
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as in to decrease
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the wind began to moderate as the night wore on
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of moderate
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
In Maine, Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, or DSCC, have backed Mills, a 78-year-old moderate in her second term.
—Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Trump had suggested Iranians would overthrow their government, but lately hinted that regime moderates could take over.
—semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Questions and comments will be moderated, read, and answered as time allows.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Adjective
Even moderate turbulence is expected to rise sharply.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
In Maine, Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, or DSCC, have backed Mills, a 78-year-old moderate in her second term.
—Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
Political post-mortem after post-mortem has deepened a cold war between progressives and moderates, fueling ongoing debates over President Joe Biden’s handling of the Gaza war, inflation, and the cost of living.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Trump had suggested Iranians would overthrow their government, but lately hinted that regime moderates could take over.
—semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
Tech companies have been responding to mental health concerns, rolling out new parental controls so parents can keep track of their children’s screen time and moderating harmful content.
—Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
Questions and comments will be moderated, read, and answered as time allows.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moderate
Adjective
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Great white sharks frequently travel north in the summer and south in the winter, a habit experts suspect has to do with preferring more temperate waters.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
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The answer was right under its nose—the original site of Art Basel, the namesake of the companies’ major cultural piece of IP, which also happens to be within the serene borders of Switzerland but in a more temperate Rhineland climate.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Research facilities now located in multiple regions will fall under a central research organization based in Fort Collins, the agency said.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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Parts of central, north central, and southwest Montana could get 40 mph winds and up to 8 inches of snow in areas below 5,000 feet and up to 16 inches above 5,000 feet from Thursday afternoon into Friday morning.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Precipitation is currently about 90 percent of average, boosted by strong winter storms in December.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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The average cost of mold remediation is about $2,300, according to Angi, a home services marketplace.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Popcorn is also a whole grain, containing fiber that helps slow digestion and triggers mild hormonal satiety signals.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
3 Apr. 2026
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One study showed that men with hair loss at the crown have a 61% chance of experiencing mild to moderate regrowth of hair after using finasteride for a year, and men with hair loss at the temples have a 37% chance of regrowth.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Now Los Angeles stands just two months from its own mayoral election, facing the question of whether the city wants to stand pat with Mayor Karen Bass, or make an ideological correction, turning to a centrist, a la San Francisco, or banking left, like New York.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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Austria's three-party centrist coalition is now joining the trend.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This risk decreases as the storm moves away.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
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As the war in Iran rages on, both rising oil prices and consumers’ decreasing desire to jet-set in uncertain times hang like a dark cloud over the industry, threatening to upend air travel across the world.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even within a restrained palette, a strong silhouette can shift the entire room.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Ashe is a rocket ship that can’t be reined in, and watching the restrained, comparably rational Coop try to lasso him is reliably entertaining.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The candidates earned a median annual income of $489,000 from 2021 to 2025, a total that in most cases includes their spouse’s income.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
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Similarly, professionals in substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselor occupations earn median wages below $60,000 a year, despite typically needing a master’s degree in psychology or a related field.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moderate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderate. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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