soft-pedal
verb
soft-ped·al
ˈsȯf(t)-ˈpe-dᵊl 
soft-pedaled; soft-pedaling; soft-pedals
1
: play down, de-emphasize
soft-pedal the issue
2
: to use the soft pedal in playing
Examples of soft-pedal in a Sentence
she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people
Recent Examples on the Web
Questlove is too much of a humanist to soft-pedal’s Maurice White’s contradictions.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 June 2026
Analysts fault Harris and party leaders for soft-pedaling Donald Trump’s felony convictions and other vulnerabilities, arguing Democrats’ rational, low-negative messaging couldn’t compete in an election defined by rage and relentless attack ads.
—Steve Peoples, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
Old school with a gift for storytelling, Simon was not one to soft-pedal his mentees.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
But a communications strategy designed to soft-pedal radioactive contamination of food won’t make America healthy.
—Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2026
In fact, several of the investigators believed the shooting was intentional, and that the Biden administration had actually soft-pedaled the investigation’s findings to appease Israel.
—Scott Griffen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Heringer believes the city soft-pedals crime, pointing to metrics that show improvement but not where pockets of violent crime persist.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2025
Nothing grates quite like those slick pharmaceutical ads blaring across the TV, promising quick fixes while soft-pedaling potential side effects.
—Alex Ward, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
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Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 June 2026
Analysts fault Harris and party leaders for soft-pedaling Donald Trump’s felony convictions and other vulnerabilities, arguing Democrats’ rational, low-negative messaging couldn’t compete in an election defined by rage and relentless attack ads.
—Steve Peoples, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
Old school with a gift for storytelling, Simon was not one to soft-pedal his mentees.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
But a communications strategy designed to soft-pedal radioactive contamination of food won’t make America healthy.
—Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2026
In fact, several of the investigators believed the shooting was intentional, and that the Biden administration had actually soft-pedaled the investigation’s findings to appease Israel.
—Scott Griffen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Heringer believes the city soft-pedals crime, pointing to metrics that show improvement but not where pockets of violent crime persist.
—Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2025
Nothing grates quite like those slick pharmaceutical ads blaring across the TV, promising quick fixes while soft-pedaling potential side effects.
—Alex Ward, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soft-pedal. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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