as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people
he's dating a sweet, self-effacing girl
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Recent Examples of self-effacing
With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to dive fully into any character, Paul was perfect for the part.
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Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2024
An… The Brink of Peace: The Israeli-Syrian Negotiations An informed, thoughtful, and refreshingly self-effacing insider's study of a four-year negotiation.
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
From the premiere stage, Hoult recalled his excitement at discovering Eastwood wanted him for the film’s central role but also the director’s self-effacing dig at his own advancing age.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
The actor-director, in typical self-effacing fashion, doesn't claim to have solved the problem of the Holocaust film in making one himself.
—Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-effacing 
Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2024
An… The Brink of Peace: The Israeli-Syrian Negotiations An informed, thoughtful, and refreshingly self-effacing insider's study of a four-year negotiation.
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
From the premiere stage, Hoult recalled his excitement at discovering Eastwood wanted him for the film’s central role but also the director’s self-effacing dig at his own advancing age.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
The actor-director, in typical self-effacing fashion, doesn't claim to have solved the problem of the Holocaust film in making one himself.
—Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-effacing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-effacing
Adjective
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Pettersson is more withdrawn, more cerebral, more sensitive and certainly not prone to confrontation by nature.Chris Johnston, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
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Introverts may become talkative, or extroverts quiet and withdrawn.Dr. Talia Varley, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That's shy of the monthly average for payroll gains of 180,000 in 2024 and 227,000 jobs added in November, pending any revisions.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
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Zoom in: In Colorado, Democrats hold all state constitutional offices, 43 of 65 seats in the House and 23 of 35 seats in the Senate, just shy of supermajorities in each chamber.Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Tempranillo There’s nothing bashful about Triple-Chocolate Truffles, Peanut Butter Truffles, and Buckeyes.Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Dec. 2024
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On a team of superstars, Salaam was a bashful giant, deferential and unselfish to the last.Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 10 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to self-effacing
Thesaurus Entries Near self-effacing
Cite this Entry
“Self-effacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-effacing. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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