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
David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 23 Mar. 2026
On Monday, the beaches still have a moderate risk of rip currents, which will grow with the front, which will also worsen boating conditions.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Some see this as a win for moderates over progressives.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 5 Mar. 2026
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Burris and film director Doug Harris, moderated by Rudy Howell, San Jose State University’s Project Rebound program director.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Adjective
Compared to Stout, Herrera may be a more controversial choice for moderate voters.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 23 Mar. 2026
On Monday, the beaches still have a moderate risk of rip currents, which will grow with the front, which will also worsen boating conditions.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Noun
Trump had suggested Iranians would overthrow their government, but lately hinted that regime moderates could take over.
—semafor.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Some see this as a win for moderates over progressives.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
The heat wave that produced record temperatures across San Diego County last week will moderate over the next few days.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Burris and film director Doug Harris, moderated by Rudy Howell, San Jose State University’s Project Rebound program director.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for moderate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moderate
Adjective
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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
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Based on these parameters, scientists estimate the planet’s equilibrium temperature to be around 368 K, placing it in a relatively warm but still temperate range for rocky exoplanets.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Now the war has turned into a race to stabilize the rapidly deteriorating global economic order, central to which is reopening the Strait of Hormuz.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The neighborhood/area The hotel is in the most central spot within Copenhagen’s old town.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Thousands are now not showing up for work, hundreds have quit altogether, and the average wait time at airports has reached record levels.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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That’s the view of Robinhood, which counts 250,000 customers paying on average $250 annually to use its Strategies, an AI tool guided by human advisors.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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On an empty stomach, acid levels may be higher, which can reduce probiotic survival and, in some people, trigger mild discomfort.—
Jahnavi Rapaka,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2026
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Chronic Dehydration Women appear to be more susceptible to the cognitive and mood effects of mild dehydration than men, and losing just 2% of body weight in fluid can impair physical performance by 10-20%.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Bipartisan Policy Center, a centrist think tank, says noncitizen voting is rare and that the bill would create barriers to voting.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
19 Mar. 2026
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The Bipartisan Policy Center, a centrist think tank, says noncitizen voting is rare and that the bill would create barriers to voting.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Declining spring precipitation and rising temperatures have caused the Colorado’s flow to decrease by nearly 20 percent over the past quarter century.—
Mira Rojanasakul,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
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After the 15th Street bike lanes were constructed, bicycle injury crashes decreased by 91 percent, according to the District Department of Transportation.—
Liam Scott,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Medicare chief frames TrumpRx as a limited tool Chris Klomp, a senior HHS official, offered a notably restrained view of TrumpRx while speaking at the STAT Breakthrough Summit East yesterday.—
Meghana Keshavan,
STAT,
20 Mar. 2026
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The killing of veteran Iranian politician Ali Larijani — seen by some as a potential, palatable negotiator — may have strengthened hardliners in Tehran (who were never weak or restrained to begin with).—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Data from the National Ski Areas Association shows the median age of skiers and snowboarders in the United States reached 37 during the 2023–24 season.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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The exemption would apply to individuals earning under $46,000 annually — the median cost of living for a single adult with no children, according to the senator — or to couples earning $92,000.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Moderate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderate. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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