KO, abate, absorb the shock, allay, alleviate, anesthetize, appease, assuage, attemper, attenuate, baffle, bank the fire, bedaze, benumb, besot, blunt, break the fall, chasten, chloroform, coldcock, constrain, control, cramp, cripple, cushion, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden the pain, deafen, debilitate, desensitize, devitalize, diminish, dope, downplay, drug, dull, ease, ease matters, enervate, enfeeble, etherize, eviscerate, exhaust, extenuate, foment, freeze, give relief, gruel, kayo, keep within bounds, knock out, knock senseless, knock stiff, knock unconscious, lay, lay low, lay out, lenify, lessen, lighten, lull, mat, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, muffle, mull, mute, narcotize, neutralize, numb, obtund, offset, pad, palliate, palsy, paralyze, play down, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, put to sleep, rattle, reduce, reduce the temperature, relieve, restrain, salve, sap, shake, shake up, show consideration, show mercy, show pity, slacken, slake, slow down, smother, sober, sober down, soft-pedal, soften, soften the blow, soften up, soothe, stifle, stop, stun, stupe, stupefy, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, tone down, tune down, unbrace, undermine, underplay, unman, unnerve, unstrengthen, unstring, weaken