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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While Brown did not speak to reporters after the 23-19 loss, Sirianni downplayed the incident during his postgame news conference.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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British officials downplayed the pause as temporary, insisting momentum would resume amid complex negotiations, but the impasse signals broader frustrations with Europe’s regulatory posture toward American innovation, market access, and economic sovereignty.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Many owners treat labor as a cost to be minimized, but that’s like trying to save money by using less salt.—
Lewis Schiff,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The implications are far reaching — with the recognition that abuse reports are not discretionary, but mandatory, retaliation would be minimized.—
Mary Buser,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sprowls sued, and an appellate court dismissed the lawsuit, siding with the county party, Davis said.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
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In November, a federal judge dismissed the charges against both Comey and James, finding that Halligan had been unlawfully appointed.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 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 31 Jan. 2026.
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