as in downplays
to reduce in apparent importance
she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people
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Recent Examples of soft-pedals
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedals
Verb
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However, the show downplays the severity of the incident and most crucially the fact that a child was present and injured in the melee.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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Govan, for his part, downplays the controversy.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Super-insulated plywood construction minimizes the use of steel, and like most of Holl’s other properties, there’s notably no drywall, nor any cosmetic finish.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Mar. 2026
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Clean Your Tools Keeping your garden tools clean minimizes the spread of disease in your garden.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In one of her sharpest lines, Valerie dismisses her Emmy-winning work in Paulie G’s prestige series.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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The exemption dismisses the need for a full environmental review, which usually includes an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) requiring more study of possible effects on other species, examining alternative options, as well as a formal, public hearing process.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedals. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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