as in downplays
to reduce in apparent importance
she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedals
Verb
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Kingsnorth unfairly downplays the many individuals and organizations who do still have views mostly in keeping with his own degrowth perspectives.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
11 Nov. 2025 -
Continue reading … MIXED MESSAGES – Spanberger downplays Jay Jones' text scandal as Virginia election nears.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some dishwasher pods contain rinse aid, which helps with the drying process and minimizes water spots, while others don't.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Nov. 2025
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Scholarly analysis of PragerU videos have found the content minimizes the impact of slavery and promotes misinformation on topics including climate change.—
Emery Petchauer,
The Conversation,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The agreement, signed earlier this month, dismisses the federal lawsuit alleging officers should have known Dante Dwaine Day, 44, was having a mental crisis and called for intervention.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
19 Dec. 2025
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The horror meister also dismisses outright any talk online about slowing his filmmaking pace after the box office disappointment for Keeper.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedals. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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