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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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaled
Verb
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But experts on the group have downplayed the evidence released so far.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
13 Sep. 2025 -
The Chiefs have since downplayed any lingering fallout from the tense TV moment.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Officials repeatedly minimized fire risks and touted the benefits of letting the fire burn, according to The Republic's findings.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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Context switching is minimized.—
Paul Kovalenko,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Miami’s cartophile Argentine defender Tomas Aviles saw his second yellow of the night after pulling back Toklomati and was dismissed in the 79th minute, leaving Messi and his teammates down a man for the final stages.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
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Fletcher, who was considered a strong contender for a state Senate seat in March 2023 when Figueroa filed her complaint, spoke publicly Friday about the allegations one month after a judge dismissed it.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
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“Soft-pedaled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaled. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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