1
as in coaxes
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
she cunningly soft-soaped her parents into letting her go on the trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in massages
to praise too much
shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-soaps
Verb
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The louche festivities provoke dangerous gamesmanship, and scenes with a jazz band and a lively singer (Sophie Oliver) capture the evening’s reckless spirit, as Hedda coaxes couples onto the dance floor and then struts and sashays among and between them.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025 -
Steve gently coaxes him back to school, where the film crew is causing havoc.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Will these two oddballs, thrust together by a dental emergency on a night that commends peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, maintain a friendship?—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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Broncos head coach Sean Payton regularly commends Lazzaro’s work, both in terms of on-field data and research, and also in the scouting and draft realms.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Deol praises Khan’s approach to the material.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
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Fortenberry is also on the board and praises Pollan’s contributions.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
22 Aug. 2025
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In the town’s maternity ward, the only functioning facility of its kind for miles, Taisiya strokes Assol, her daughter born Sunday into a world where suddenly the risks of being in Sloviansk have multiplied.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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At the tip meeting, Sandy congratulates the interior team and, in so many gentle words, tells the deck team to do better.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
21 Oct. 2025
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Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes congratulates players after a first half scoring drive against the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens at Folsom Field on September 6, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But there are clearly no hard feelings, as the three actresses hug and marvel while the crowd applauds.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Sep. 2025
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Both get up and the winner raises the arm of the loser and applauds him briefly in a sign of respect.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mia puffs up her body to look intimidating, as the googly-eyed statue stares back at her.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-soaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soaps. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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