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
-
Even as Sand downplays party politics, Democrats are putting faith in him to blaze a trail in the state after struggling electorally in recent cycles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
That's likely why Mindelle downplays that part of the gig, and instead focuses on the comedy that keeps her on her toes.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
This precaution minimizes electrical hazards during flooding.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
-
The council's website said that Oregon law recognizes animals as capable of experiencing pain and provides that animals should be cared for in a way that minimizes pain and suffering.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Steve dismisses the idea, but Alice is already playing wing-woman.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
8 June 2026
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For her part Zoe, mature well beyond her tender age, dismisses the hype with a shrug.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedals. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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