1
as in to coax
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 to honey
to praise too much
shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in butter
excessive praise
a salesman who knows the value of soft soap in making a sale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of soft-soap
Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
So do her successes in soft-soaping some recalcitrant senators into supporting the mission’s funding.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 July 2024
Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2024
Most of the questions aimed at the ironic American director of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas were less softballs than soft soap, with reporters as interested in Scorsese’s favorite food — his mother’s lasagna recipe — as the movies in his peerless filmography.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Founder and creative director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning bandages to soft soap, as well as regular editorial content online.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2021
For spills or stains, spot cleaning with soft soap like Zero or Woolite.
—Rachel Klein, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2021
Founder and Creative Director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning Band-Aids to soft soap as well as regular editorial content online.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2021
Later, barber is seen crouching on his bed, holding lighted match under jam jar of water, soft soap and boot blacking.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 25 May 2020
Potassium hydroxide, on the other hand, produces an easily soluble soft soap.
—C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2018
Verb
President Donald Trump must stop begging and soft-soaping Vladimir Putin and use our military might to force him to give up his designs upon Ukraine and its neighbors.
—Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
So do her successes in soft-soaping some recalcitrant senators into supporting the mission’s funding.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 July 2024
Noun
People should wash any skin that comes into contact with the slurry with water and soft soap, before using a hand cream to avoid dryness and cracking.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2024
Most of the questions aimed at the ironic American director of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas were less softballs than soft soap, with reporters as interested in Scorsese’s favorite food — his mother’s lasagna recipe — as the movies in his peerless filmography.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Founder and creative director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning bandages to soft soap, as well as regular editorial content online.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2021
For spills or stains, spot cleaning with soft soap like Zero or Woolite.
—Rachel Klein, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2021
Founder and Creative Director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning Band-Aids to soft soap as well as regular editorial content online.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2021
Later, barber is seen crouching on his bed, holding lighted match under jam jar of water, soft soap and boot blacking.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 25 May 2020
Potassium hydroxide, on the other hand, produces an easily soluble soft soap.
—C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-soap
Verb
-
Lissoni has not erased the building’s soul but coaxed it gently into the present.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
The plane was at least five thousand pounds over its normal gross weight, but Earhart had coaxed the Electra into the air with her usual casual daring.—
Laurie Gwen Shapiro,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
Those harmonies — simultaneously honeyed and gravelly, providing just enough support without overshadowing, yet so powerful and full of potential — echoes Whitten.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
2 July 2024
-
Enjoy flavored nuts, such as those that are candied, glazed, or honied, in moderation.—
Selene Yeager,
Health,
24 Feb. 2024
Noun
-
Chicken Marsala typically features boneless, skinless chicken breasts, mushrooms, Marsala wine, chicken broth, butter, flour, and seasonings like salt and pepper.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
5 June 2025
-
Donna has shared the ingredients for the cookies, which include milk and white chocolate chips, brown and white sugar, sweet cream butter, cinnamon and optional pecans.—
Erin Clements,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Then massage it onto a clean scalp before bedtime and rinse it out the next morning.—
Jenn Barthole,
Glamour,
28 May 2025
-
The vibrator features 12 intensity levels and is designed with Pleasure Air Technology that utilizes air vibrations to suck and massage the clitorus, keeping it stimulated without direct contact.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
27 May 2025
Noun
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From there, according to the report, the sweet talk quickly moves to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Google Chat or Telegram.—
Sunny Nagpaul,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2024
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Just in case that gave Reba a leg up, don't let her sweet talk you.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2024
Verb
-
In a quote included in Dashlane’s post, the head of the organization behind the FIDO2 standard commended its efforts.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
-
His directorial debut, Creed III, did well at the box office — a franchise best of $276 million globally — with critics commending it as a promising first Rocky movie without Rocky.—
Zak Cheney-Rice,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
The tech titan regularly sang the president's praises on social media and even brought his 4-year-old son to the Oval Office.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
-
While the signing was met with both praise and criticism, Skip Bayless made his feelings about the Steelers decision clear.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
Know-nothings pretend that Schrader’s Bressonian mannerisms reveal the spiritual depths of contemporary crisis, when, in fact, Master Gardener repeats the same social-collapse paranoia that made secular reviewers overpraise the religious, racial, suicide-bomber topics of First Reformed.—
Armond White,
National Review,
24 May 2023
-
He’s overpraised of course.—
Nick Laird,
The New York Review of Books,
16 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Soft-soap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soap. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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