dialing down
Turning the volume
Dialing down means reducing intensity, volume, or degree—from the literal turning of a dial to lower settings.
You might dial down the thermostat, dial down aggressive rhetoric, or ask someone to dial down the drama.
The opposite is dialing up.
The phrase persists even as physical dials become obsolete.
- calmingInducing a settled state
- reducingMaking less or smaller
- moderatingMaking less extreme
- throttlingRestricting flow or speed
- taperingProgressive decrease in width
attenuating · minimizing · softening · dimming · scaling back · backing off · diffusing · soothing · cooling off · compromising · relaxing · taking it easy · tempering · quieting · unwinding · de-escalating · letting up · pacifying
dialing downturning up
Arriving or increasing
cranking up · ramping up · boosting · pumping up · increasing
dialing downescalating
Increasing by degrees
ramping up · heating up · stirring up · inflaming · fanning the flames
dialing downamplifying
Increasing strength or intensity
playing up · hyping up · dramatizing · sensationalizing · exaggerating
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