dial down
To reduce or diminish in effect or intensity.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Please dial down the volume on the music.”
“The manager asked the team to dial down the aggressive marketing tactics for the new campaign.”
“In order to maintain a professional atmosphere, the diplomat suggested they dial down the hostile rhetoric during the upcoming peace negotiations.”
- 01
dial back
To reduce (one's energy or intensity); to restrain (a feeling or action).
- 02
dial towards
To be oriented towards, to be figuratively moving in the direction of or aiming at a conclusion.
- 03
pocket dial
A situation in which one's cellphone makes a call from one's pocket when its buttons are inadvertently pressed.
- 04
reset the dial
To change something radically; to reform or revolutionize something.
- 05
shift the dial
To make a significant change or impact in a particular situation or context.
Last updated August 10, 2026