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
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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
-
Dowdle responded to criticism of his performance down the stretch on social media on Friday, seemingly taking a shot at coach Dave Canales’ offensive play-calling.—
Mike Kaye
Updated March 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
-
With the police chief taking criticism for a recent rise in shootings by officers, several proposals sought to strengthen accountability for the use of deadly force.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That transition preserves the system’s optical degrees of freedom while minimizing scattering or power loss.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Most of Earth’s surface is covered with water, so the probe’s parts are most likely to hit the ocean—minimizing the risk to humans.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In fact, according to the EFF analyst, many lawmakers have recognized these approaches, such as data minimization, in existing age-verification proposals.—
Barbara Booth,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Monitoring and documentation requirements of releases are merely recommended, and avoidance and minimization of adverse impacts to animals, plants and the public are left up to the industry.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Those quotes were used to provide context and avoid downplaying the role of slavery in the Confederate rebellion, according to a former Harpers Ferry media specialist who inserted them.—
Karin Brulliard,
Arkansas Online,
3 Mar. 2026
-
There is no downplaying what’s happening here.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Polanski’s victory and Brody blindsiding Berry with a kiss didn’t generate the kind of condemnation that would have instantly greeted them in the social media era (Facebook was still a year away from launching).—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The incident drew national attention and condemnation from federal lawmakers from Colorado.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Despite the extraordinary decision, Mejia remained in custody while the case returned to Travis County — where was convicted and sentenced to life in prison — for the final legal step of dismissing the charges.—
Austin Sanders,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
-
In February, Judge Arun Subramanian handed down a summary judgment dismissing that claim.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The author blamed Padilla Peralta for stoking a culture of denunciations, using terms that evoked the Cultural Revolution.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The controversy connects to a larger schism on the right, with some conservatives pushing back against an increasingly vocal faction whose denunciations of Israel, critics say, often combine with blatant antisemitism.—
Peter Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaling. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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