THESAURUS
take the edge off
abate, allay, alleviate, appease, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, bate, blunt, calm, chasten, conciliate, constrain, control, cool, cramp, cripple, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, debilitate, defuse, devitalize, diminish, disedge, downplay, draw the teeth, dulcify, dull, enervate, enfeeble, eviscerate, exhaust, extenuate, gruel, keep within bounds, lay, lay low, lay the dust, lenify, lessen, lighten, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, obtund, pacify, palliate, placate, play down, pour balm on, propitiate, rattle, reduce, reduce the temperature, repress, restrain, retund, sap, shake, shake up, slacken, slow down, smooth, smooth down, smooth over, smother, sober, sober down, soften, soften up, soothe, stifle, subdue, suppress, tame, temper, tone down, tranquilize, tune down, turn, unbrace, undermine, underplay, unman, unnerve, unstrengthen, unstring, weaken
