1
as in coaxes
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in massages
to praise too much
shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-soaps
Verb
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Steve gently coaxes him back to school, where the film crew is causing havoc.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025 -
After ordering his security detail to cut the feed on all his cameras, Prater captures Harrison at gunpoint and coaxes Dexter to return to the wine room.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Broncos head coach Sean Payton regularly commends Lazzaro’s work, both in terms of on-field data and research, and also in the scouting and draft realms.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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While Bernhardt praises her gifts, the French diva doesn’t hold back in her stinging criticism of the production, calling it the same old prewar Italian theater, out of touch with the times.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
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And Lauren, who initially praises his new short story for its trauma narrative.—
Jane Ciabattari
August 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
22 Aug. 2025
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In the town’s maternity ward, the only functioning facility of its kind for miles, Taisiya strokes Assol, her daughter born Sunday into a world where suddenly the risks of being in Sloviansk have multiplied.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But more than anything else, Truwit applauds her friend's character and selflessness.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes applauds from the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Hungary at Hungaroring on August 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Mia puffs up her body to look intimidating, as the googly-eyed statue stares back at her.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-soaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soaps. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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