tempering

verb

present participle of temper
1
as in annealing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in softening

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempering
  1. annealing
  2. softening
  3. hardening
  4. moderating
  5. toughening
  6. lightening
  7. mitigating
  8. alleviating
Verb
  • The telecom giant plans to use D-Wave’s quantum annealing technology to tackle complex optimization problems across its network operations.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 July 2026
  • Over the next five years, real value will come from applying quantum principles, such as annealing and probabilistic optimization, to supply chains, finance and logistics before fault-tolerant quantum arrives.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Definition of annealing
Verb
  • History has a way of softening the edges of even the fiercest rivalries.
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The drop was driven by worsening infrastructure, softening housing and a high cost of living.
    — Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • Structured as a coming-of-age narrative, the novel sets Lenny’s small domestic world—her parents, her brother Adi, her godmother, and, above all, her Hindu nanny Ayah—against the hardening politics outside it.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • American schools now spend about $4 billion annually on physically hardening their facilities by adding technology such as metal detectors and surveillance cameras, according to the Learning Policy Institute, an education research group.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Definition of hardening
Verb
  • Candidate messaging Candidates could consider moderating their message to attract orphaned voters, though that can be perilous.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Some smaller low-cost airlines are moderating their growth, if not shrinking altogether, to save money as fuel prices remain high.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of moderating
Verb
  • The tender side of Strout is her hopefulness—and that may be toughening up.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
  • In the nineties, hip-hop was toughening up the sound of American popular music; Jackson, fey and theatrical, seemed increasingly distant from the cultural mainstream.
    — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of toughening
Verb
  • See what the experts had to say about lightening your hair without bleach below.
    — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 28 July 2026
  • Instead, opt for neutral coats of paint, warm lightening schemes, and functional storage.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 20 July 2026
Definition of lightening
Verb
  • Buying naked upside calls right now means paying a massive premium, but selling an out-of-the-money put will assist in mitigating the overall cost of this debit spread.
    — Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Effective exit strategies are built over several years by enhancing financial performance, mitigating risks, and creating a business that can thrive independently.
    — Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of mitigating
Verb
  • Accordingly, preventing or alleviating hypertension and diabetes can partly be done by managing these factors.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
  • This isn’t the first time Halle Berry has worked on a project aimed at alleviating menopause symptoms.
    — Sophie Dunne, Footwear News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of alleviating
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

tempered
tempering
tempers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tempering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempering. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on tempering

Nglish: Translation of tempering for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All