as in criticism
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Dissimilar Words
as in minimizing
to reduce in apparent importance
she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of soft-pedaling
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Nothing grates quite like those slick pharmaceutical ads blaring across the TV, promising quick fixes while soft-pedaling potential side effects.
—
Alex Ward,
Boston Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins.
—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Nothing grates quite like those slick pharmaceutical ads blaring across the TV, promising quick fixes while soft-pedaling potential side effects.
—
Alex Ward,
Boston Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaling
Noun
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The Supreme Court's decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 160,000 Haitians in South Florida and hundreds of thousands more nationwide has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and raised concerns about the future of families in the region.
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The investigation also compliments previous claims that CCC’s regulations impede coastal infrastructure projects, which has drawn criticism from multiple political fronts over the last year.
Verb
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Its quick-release, tool-free battery system enables operators to swap batteries within seconds, minimizing downtime during industrial inspections, security patrols, and disaster response operations.
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Scott Barnes, Jennifer Lopez’s longtime makeup artist, considers the ingredients of this Korean sunscreen a plus for minimizing the look of pores, while delivering other benefits to aging skin.
Noun
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Owning mistakes matters, but there’s a difference between accountability and reflexive self-minimization.
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Advertising codes emphasize honesty, fairness, decency, responsibility, respect, transparency, legality, and minimization of harm.
Verb
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But critics have accused them of downplaying the risks.
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hinted Wednesday that the opening could be delayed while downplaying any concerns.
Noun
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The attack, which was captured on video and shared on social media, led to condemnation of the perpetrator and an outpouring of support for the food vendor, who was identified by her family members as Arabelia Martinez, 62.
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Families facing difficult diagnoses deserve compassion, not condemnation.
Verb
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Your method of dismissing your flippant remarks, then, is probably the next best option to silence.
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Kerry Washington completely dismissing Seth Meyers’s home life absolutely slays.
Noun
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As usual, denunciations of cancel culture were big.
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Keiko Fujimori assumed the role after her mother, the late Susana Higuchi, separated from her father following her public denunciation of corruption in his government regarding the handling of international donations.
Noun
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Following Rourke’s denouncement of the GoFundMe effort, Hines told fans that if Rourke didn’t want the money, donors would be reimbursed.
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In coordination with former President Franklin Roosevelt’s public denouncement of discrimination of Black Americans, Plato, president of the Plato Construction Company, was contracted to build 88 houses on the site of Camp Taylor, the former military installation in southwest Louisville.
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaling. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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