as in downplayed
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-pedaled
In fact, several of the investigators believed the shooting was intentional, and that the Biden administration had actually soft-pedaled the investigation’s findings to appease Israel.
—
Scott Griffen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Scott Griffen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaled
Verb
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Cherfilus-McCormick downplayed the significance of fellow House Democrats calling for her resignation.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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In France, following the G7 meeting on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the cooperation between Iran and Russia.—
Margaret Brennan,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Because the condition affects balance and coordination, veterinarians recommend keeping affected cats in safe, predictable spaces where hazards like slippery floors, high furniture and stairs are minimized.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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Around 400 were involved in experiments where pain was not minimized.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In February, the judge overseeing the case dismissed several claims against the bank, but let stand two others.—
Chase Jordan,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
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Far too often, symptoms such as fatigue, swelling, shortness of breath and nerve pain are misdiagnosed or dismissed.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The changes have included an overhaul of Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has de-emphasized a listing of relevant web links in its results and increasingly highlighted AI overviews and conversational responses provided through an AI mode.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedaled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaled. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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