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
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
This loud-and-proud version of Sonny certainly feels progressive, but in a different way it soft-pedals Sonny’s complications.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
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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The proposition has been met with backlash online, as some believe the name insinuates a connection to the president or downplays the importance of the man who donated the land, whom it is named after.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
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San Diego economist Ray Major downplays the impacts of declining immigration, pointing out that the far more concerning issue is the continuing exodus of residents, who far outnumber those who are moving here.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nothing about defending constitutional rights minimizes that.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
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Other effective strategies include thoughtful classroom seating that minimizes distractions and improves access to visual and verbal cues.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If Erdos dismisses the lawsuit on account of arbitration, that will mean the dispute leaves the public court system and continues in arbitration, which is private and subject to confidentiality provisions.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Apr. 2026
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Descovich dismisses the criticism.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedals. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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