tone police

English[edit]

tone police (third-person singular simple present tone polices, present participle tone policing, simple past and past participle tone policed)

(slang, derogatory) To complain about the tone of one or more participants in a debate or discussion, especially one perceived as heated, disrespectful, etc.
- 2017, Fobazi M. Ettarh, “Equality is not Pie; Libraries and the Insidiousness of Subtle Racism”, in fobaziettarh.com‎^[1]:
  Many white women will tone police, dominate conversation, and then when challenged follow the following playbook […]

to complain about the tone of discussion participants