abate, allay, alleviate, assuage, attemper, bank the fire, blunt, bring to account, bring to book, call to account, castigate, chastise, constrain, control, correct, curb, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deal with, diminish, discipline, downplay, dull, extenuate, inflict upon, keep within bounds, lay, lenify, lessen, lighten, masthead, mitigate, moderate, modulate, obtund, palliate, penalize, pillory, play down, punish, purify, reduce, reduce the temperature, repress, restrain, settle with, simplify, slacken, slow down, smother, sober, sober down, soften, square accounts, stifle, subdue, suppress, take to task, tame, temper, tone down, tune down, underplay, visit upon, weaken