You just keep working hard and do the right things," he said in his typical self-effacing way, "and your time will come.

His control is awesome, and he's a good piano player, too; in his own self-effacing way, he's an intense performer.

The work is characterful, but in a retiring, self-effacing way.

Mr. Rivard, in his self-effacing way, emerges as a quietly heroic figure in this story.

But he knew that she was enormously aware of him in her silent, self-effacing way.

It was a quick, self-effacing and humorous way to work his family connections.

To her credit Ms. Smith tells these stories in a good-humored, self-effacing way that makes it easy to see why she has so many friends.

He was a substantial contributor to many charities, always in a self-effacing, quiet way.

None of the breathing, rubber-masked guardians were quite so intrusive, but continued their self-effacing ways.

He may put his pictures together in a self-effacing way, but that is not to say he simply echoes his subjects' self-images.