SOFT-PEDALING Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

soft-pedaling 1 of 2

noun

as in criticism

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Dissimilar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Vucic has pushed hard against the protesters as the government faced international criticism over police violence and arbitrary detentions of demonstrators.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
His political interests would be served if Republicans were to stop attacking Carlson and if Carlson were to tone down his criticism of the GOP.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of criticism

Verb

This curious experimenter group is all about catching mistakes, working through early unexpected results—hello, hallucinations—and minimizing adoption pains.

— Robbie Morrison, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Use a balance transfer credit card A balance transfer can move your existing debt to a new card offering a low or 0% introductory APR, potentially giving you a year or longer to pay down the balance while minimizing interest charges.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of minimizing

Noun

To curb massive server expenditures, engineering teams across the board are implementing strict token minimization algorithms.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Its core commitments are voluntary and informed participation, minimization of harm to participants, confidentiality and prior approval by an institutional review board that weighs risk against scientific value.

— Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimization

Verb

These positive connotations associated with scientific research help the AI industry signal altruism while downplaying their profit-making ambitions.

— Matthew Sun, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Over the years, Marco Polo has adapted to the neighborhood’s changing demographics by downplaying its old-world Italian extravagance.

— Rachel Corbett, Curbed, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of downplaying

Noun

That drew condemnation in the volatile region that remains ethnically divided more than three decades after the war, which started when Bosnia's Serbs took control over swaths of the country's territory to form their own state.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Police shot at an unarmed crowd protesting apartheid pass laws on March 21, 1960, and drew international condemnation.

— Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of condemnation

Noun

Apple prefaced its reveal with a denunciation of foldables that open into a square aspect ratio.

— Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026
What Assange wanted was not a system hardened against attacks, but one tied in knots, hopelessly conflicted and filled with suspicion, denunciations, and purges.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 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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“Soft-pedaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaling. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of soft-pedaling

noun

verb

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