SOFT-PEDALING Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

soft-pedaling 1 of 2

noun

as in criticism

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soft-pedaling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of soft-pedal

as in minimizing

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of soft-pedaling

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

The company has continued to push back on criticism by offering law enforcement advice on how to counter public pressure at city council meetings, noted Torin Monahan, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2014 that Hungary had sacked Baka for criticism of the ⁠government and that his removal did damage to democratic freedoms in Hungary.

— Reuters, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of criticism

Verb

Key decision-makers did not make sufficient use of the extensive expertise across the Defense Department to guide the Israeli military on how make gains against Hamas while minimizing civilian harm in Gaza’s dense urban environments.

— Dafna H. Rand, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
Below, Forbes Human Resources Council members share strategies for encouraging healthier peer feedback while minimizing conflict and fostering a more collaborative workplace.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimizing

Verb

Paul has backed the theory that the coronavirus emerged from a lab, and has accused Fauci and other top officials of publicly downplaying and denigrating that theory, especially in the early days of the pandemic.

— Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 29 July 2026
The American Academy of Pediatrics has accused federal leaders of downplaying the risk of measles and offering misinformation about the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of downplaying

Noun

That same day, the Houthis launched a flurry of attacks that reportedly killed and wounded dozens near the Yemen-Saudi border – sparking condemnation from Jordanian, Bahraini and Kuwaiti authorities.

— Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
What comes next ultimately vindicates Circe’s condemnation of the sailors.

— Bailey Sincox, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of condemnation

Verb

After dismissing Cora and his staff, the Red Sox have surged back into playoff contention with the trade deadline looming.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
De Vries barely looked at it, dismissing the message as spam or phishing without reading past the first few lines.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026

Definition of dismissing

Noun

The truth is that, despite the 2019 Business Roundtable denunciation of MSV, the pendulum never fully swung away from MSV.

— Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
One of the few factors that could impede a Democratic wave in this year’s midterms is the party’s own unpopularity; polling suggests that plenty of voters outside college campuses might also nod along to El-Sayed’s denunciation of Democrats.

— Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

Definition of denunciation

Noun

Following Rourke’s denouncement of the GoFundMe effort, Hines told fans that if Rourke didn’t want the money, donors would be reimbursed.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
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.

— Steve Wiser, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Nov. 2025

Definition of denouncement

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Style

“Soft-pedaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaling. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of soft-pedaling

noun

verb

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