as in downplayed
to reduce in apparent importance
she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaled
Verb
-
McCarthy downplayed the emotion of returning to face his hometown team.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025 -
Fahey relished the opportunity to play against Lyons and downplayed any sort of rivalry between the two top quarterbacks.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Responses that joked about and minimized the posters’ experiences, or were unsupportive in other ways, were comparatively rare.—
Laura Schwab Reese,
The Conversation,
2 Sep. 2025
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The damage to Caden’s body was minimized by his older brother quickly pulling off his shirt and instructing him to stop, drop and roll to put out the fire.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Spurs have, for now, dismissed takeover talk.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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His previous criminal history includes two violations of an abuse prevention order and a charge of destruction of property, all of which have been dismissed.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedaled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaled. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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