T2. tweak / takeaway / turn down

1. tweak 

: to change sth slightly in order to improve it 
: to make small adjustments to something

: "tweak" is being used to suggest minor adjustments or refinements aimed at improving something.

 

ex) We just wanted to tweak his original idea a bit.

ex) The company may have to tweak (=adjust) its image.

ex) Our software developers are tweaking (= fine-tuning) the program.

ex) How could we tweak the magazine's content to increase sales?

ex) I'd like to tweak the last paragraph, and everything else is good to go.
ex) The design of our new product is good, but it needs a few tweaks to make it more user-friendly.

ex) We need to tweak our marketing strategy to better target our desired audience.

 

Q. Is "tweak" a really better word to point out someone's mistake than "change"?

Yes, "tweak" often means to adjust or modify something slightly, usually with the goal of improving it. It implies a less 
significant or less drastic change than "change" might suggest.
Using "tweak" instead of "change" can indeed be a softer or more diplomatic way of suggesting that something might be improved. For example, if you're reviewing a colleague's report, saying "I think this section could use a little tweaking" can come across as less direct or confrontational than saying "I think this section needs to be changed." It suggests that the work is largely good as it is and just needs a few minor adjustments.
That being said, whether "tweak" is the right word to use can depend on the specific situation and the nature of the changes needed. If a substantial overhaul or major changes are necessary, then using "tweak" might not accurately convey your meaning, and a word like "change" or "revise" could be more appropriate. As with any feedback, it's also important to be clear, respectful, and constructive in how you communicate your suggestions.

 

2. takeaway
: a main message or piece of information that you learn from something you hear or read
: a key fact, point, or idea to be remembered, typically one emerging from a discussion or meeting

: "takeaway" refers to the most important point or lesson that is intended to be remembered.

ex) What was your main takeaway from it?

ex) After analyzing the customer feedback, the primary takeaway is that we need to improve our after-sales service.

ex) The report has several important takeaways, but the most crucial one is that our expenses have exceeded our revenue for the last two quarters.

ex) The main takeaway from today's meeting is that we need to focus more on customer engagement to increase our sales.

 

3. turn down
: if you turn down a person or their request or offer, you refuse their request or offer.

: to mean refuse or reject something, often an offer or request

ex) He asked her to marry him but she turned him down.
ex) I'd like to say thank you, but I'm gonna have to turn your offer down.

ex) We had to turn down the job applicant because his qualifications did not match our requirements.
ex) The client turned down our initial proposal, so we'll need to come up with a new approach.
ex) Our funding request was turned down by the bank, so we'll need to explore other financing options.
ex) We were unfortunately turned down for the partnership opportunity due to our lack of experience in the industry.
ex) I regret to inform you that the government agency has turned down our application for an exemption. They cited inconsistencies in the documents we submitted as the reason for their decision."