| Clue | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Made malleable | ||
| Tenderised | ||
| Made more malleable | ||
| Subdued offspring half-heartedly eats a lot | ||
| Grew less harsh | ||
| In the end, commenters online had to accept frequently getting moderated | The Times Cryptic | 02 Oct 2023 |
| Toned down | Premier Sunday | 24 Oct 2021 |
| Moderated part of articles, often edited | The Telegraph Cryptic | 06 Aug 2019 |
| Piece of news often editorially toned down | The Telegraph Cryptic | 24 Sep 2017 |
| Began to melt | LA Times Daily | 19 Sep 2017 |
| Began to melt | The Washington Post | 19 Sep 2017 |
| Began to melt | ||
| Started to melt | Universal | 01 Jul 2016 |
| Started to melt | ||
| Toned down | ||
| Toned down | ||
| Toned down | ||
| Not so harsh | ||
| Muted | ||
| Began to melt | ||
| Plasticized. | ||
| Mitigated. |