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 Synonyms for soft-pedaled
Verb
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Korotaev downplayed its significance using simpler logic, comparing it with Russia’s far more damaging strategic air and missile campaign against Ukraine.
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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra at the time downplayed the confrontation, with the Heat routinely making peace after acquiring former Heat instigators.
Verb
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These behaviors are often minimized as personality quirks or generational differences.
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Highlight details are more vivid and color bleeding is minimized.
Verb
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If he was dismissed without cause, his contract provides for a minimum 12-month payout.
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After earlier false rumors involving tsunami threats and the collapse of major transportation links, Rodríguez dismissed new viral claims about infrastructure failures, urging the public to rely exclusively on official sources.
Verb
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Our tactile and sensory life has been de-emphasized in favor of ideas, symbols, accomplishments, and abstractions.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedaled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaled. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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