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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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
Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025
By December, much of the region was experiencing moderate to severe drought.
—Michael Wilson, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025
Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Patel will need the support of both moderates and conservatives to be confirmed.
—Stephen Neukam, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
George Avalos, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
Any user is free to join, create, or moderate their own community.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for moderate 
Adjective
The risk levels are expected to be moderate in the San Francisco Bay Area and major in the Sacramento Valley and the Sierra.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2025
By December, much of the region was experiencing moderate to severe drought.
—Michael Wilson, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025
Noun
Advertisement World & Nation Uruguay’s elections buck the Latin American trend, offering voters a choice between 2 moderates
Oct. 27, 2024
Congress ended up evenly split in the October vote.
—Nayara Batschke, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Patel will need the support of both moderates and conservatives to be confirmed.
—Stephen Neukam, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
The chamber’s event includes a discussion panel moderated by San Jose State University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025
Any user is free to join, create, or moderate their own community.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for moderate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moderate
Adjective
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Based on fossil evidence, it is believed that the Antarctica of 66 million years ago sported a temperate climate with lush vegetation—an ideal setting for the development of the ancestors of ducks and geese.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
10 Feb. 2025
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Fossil evidence suggests that Antarctica had a temperate climate with lots of vegetation 69 million years ago.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The tech titan turned government cost cutter has emerged as the central player other than President Donald Trump in his three-week-old presidency, igniting fierce debate with a blitz of shocking moves at federal agencies.—
Zac Anderson,
USA TODAY,
11 Feb. 2025
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Gender-affirming care has been a central target of the conservative right for the past several years, though most of the efforts to deny access to healthcare have been aimed at trans youth.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But the average 30-year mortgage rate has since moved up, from a little over 6% in September to closer to 7% today.—
Ruth Thompson,
USA TODAY,
16 Feb. 2025
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The average price of a new truck in January was $59,684, while SUVs sold for an average of $47,667, according to Cox Automotive.—
Joann Muller,
Axios,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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What To Know Despite the mild start, which saw New York City at a high of 43°F, colder air is expected in the coming days, bringing a mix of snow, sleet, and rain to the region.—
Natalie Venegas,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
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Half had Alzheimer’s disease and about one-third had mild cognitive impairment, a common precursor to Alzheimer’s.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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These centrists want to scrap the lid on deducting state and local taxes from one’s federal 1040.—
Bruce Fuller,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Feb. 2025
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An alliance between liberals, leftists, and centrists cemented—an all-hands-on-deck approach would be needed to defeat Trump.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
The New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In other second-quarter statistics, there was a 50.9 percent gross margin rate, representing an increase of 110 basis points year-over-year; inventory decreased 1.3 percent last quarter to 404.6 million euros.—
David Moin,
WWD,
11 Feb. 2025
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Africa’s lion population has decreased by nearly half over the past quarter century, according to the African Wildlife Foundation, and the lion is regionally extinct in 15 African countries.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
AFAR Media,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This improvement to sound also makes the restrained snarl of Naked Snake’s voice have an even better bite.—
Ashley Bardhan,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2025
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Written by Jon Randall and Matt Nolen, this song features gentle guitar and restrained percussion lifting its message, contemplating the possibility of an afterlife filled with horses, musing that thunder is a band of angels riding on horses across the skies.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That’s an increase of 1% from November when the median price for a single-family home in California was $852,820.—
Kendrick Marshall,
Sacramento Bee,
4 Feb. 2025
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The median home sale price in the region was $380,000 in December, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association.—
James Wilkins,
Orlando Sentinel,
2 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near moderate
Cite this Entry
“Moderate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderate. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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