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
Alex Ward, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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 Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Part of the reason why there are so few of these conversations about podcasting is a general lack of criticism for narrative audio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Hence, minimizing adjacent snow buildup is vital for maintaining power output in alpine PV systems.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But regulatory frameworks such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act (CAIA) emphasize data minimization, retention limits and individual privacy rights.—
Asaf Kochan,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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In jurisdictions like the EU, mishandling personal information may violate provisions of the bloc’s strict data privacy law, GDPR, which includes principles like data minimization, informed consent, and the right to be forgotten.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Huda issues an apology after downplaying the incident After initially downplaying the outrage over her reaction, Mustafa posted another statement on Wednesday publicly apologizing to Carthen.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
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As a book by the late Virginia Giuffre sparks new international interest in Jeffrey Epstein, House Republicans are still downplaying the need for a vote on releasing the Justice Department’s case files.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The arrest by federal agents of a day care teacher inside a child care center in northwest Chicago has drawn strong condemnation from local leaders.—
Whitney Wild,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The texts ignited a scandal that drew bipartisan condemnation.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Venezuelans got accustomed to dismissing it all as noise, just a pretext the dictatorship employed to stamp out civil rights.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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Despite mounting criticism and public skepticism, Cheney remained a vocal defender of the war, dismissing opposition as politically motivated.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Senator Ted Cruz on Thursday delivered a sharp denunciation of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, condemning his recent interview with far-right commentator Nick Fuentes and warning that such rhetoric is fueling anti-Israel sentiment among young conservatives.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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Far from being simply a denunciation of marginalization, the song becomes a sincere embrace of vulnerable childhoods, highlighting the pain of those who grow up in poverty, neglect, and, often, are forced into crime as a means of survival.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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To their credit, the Young Republicans organization issued a strong denouncement of the comments, although I was horrified by reading the online responses to it.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
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The quiet denouncement of Bob’s martyrdom complex points to people of color’s self-sufficiency.—
Robert Daniels,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaling. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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