as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people
he's dating a sweet, self-effacing girl
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of self-effacing
Cher is a bracing read, peppered with caustic quips and self-effacing anecdotes, but fundamentally frank.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2024
With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to dive fully into any character, Paul was perfect for the part.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2024
An… The Brink of Peace: The Israeli-Syrian Negotiations An informed, thoughtful, and refreshingly self-effacing insider's study of a four-year negotiation.
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
From the premiere stage, Hoult recalled his excitement at discovering Eastwood wanted him for the film’s central role but also the director’s self-effacing dig at his own advancing age.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-effacing 
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2024
With his self-effacing sense of humor and willingness to dive fully into any character, Paul was perfect for the part.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2024
An… The Brink of Peace: The Israeli-Syrian Negotiations An informed, thoughtful, and refreshingly self-effacing insider's study of a four-year negotiation.
—Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
From the premiere stage, Hoult recalled his excitement at discovering Eastwood wanted him for the film’s central role but also the director’s self-effacing dig at his own advancing age.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for self-effacing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-effacing
Adjective
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Pettersson is more withdrawn, more cerebral, more sensitive and certainly not prone to confrontation by nature.—
Chris Johnston,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
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Introverts may become talkative, or extroverts quiet and withdrawn.—
Dr. Talia Varley,
Forbes,
16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The club has an owner in David Tepper who isn’t shy to take big swings.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Jan. 2025
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The team’s 502 points marked just the second time in franchise history that Tampa Bay totaled over 500 points and was just nine points shy of matching the franchise-best mark of 511 points in 2021.—
Jeff Howe,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Gemma the rescue dog's bashful streak has propelled the video to over 4.7 million views on TikTok.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
Newsweek,
9 Jan. 2025
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Tempranillo There’s nothing bashful about Triple-Chocolate Truffles, Peanut Butter Truffles, and Buckeyes.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to self-effacing
Thesaurus Entries Near self-effacing
Cite this Entry
“Self-effacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-effacing. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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