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
-
Learn more about how an infinite complexity of brews is coaxed out of those three simple ingredients by touring a brewery.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
-
Key moment With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning, Gausman coaxed Gustavo Campero into a 1-3 double play.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 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
-
Add the butter, half and half, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
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The rum has aromas of nougat, almond butter, and brown sugar.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
By the late Nineties, flimsy strictures of economic decorum were being made even flimsier: massage the losses, underestimate the debts, off-load liabilities into subsidiaries, hide who owns them.—
Leigh Claire La Berge,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
-
Just massage this lightweight formula into the scalp to reinvigorate follicles, prevent damage, and retain moisture.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
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
-
These entries, commended by the judges, feature colorful auroras, dazzling solar prominences, glowing galaxies and nebulas and breathtaking skyscapes.—
Carlyn Kranking,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
-
Kennedy commended major food manufacturers that have pledged to take artificial coloring out of their foods.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
Bryan, who selected the $100,000 winning envelope, chose to split the prize with Amaya — a decision that earned some praise but also a few critics.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
14 July 2025
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Which means that instead of attacking the CEO, Huang should be garnering abundant praise for recognizing truths about the global economy plainly lost on his critics.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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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 24 Jul. 2025.
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