SOFT-PEDALS Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

soft-pedals 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of soft-pedal

as in downplays

to reduce in apparent importance she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people

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soft pedals

2 of 2

noun

plural of soft pedal

as in quieters

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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-pedals

Verb

This loud-and-proud version of Sonny certainly feels progressive, but in a different way it soft-pedals Sonny’s complications. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026 Heringer believes the city soft-pedals crime, pointing to metrics that show improvement but not where pockets of violent crime persist. — Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedals

Verb

Oeffling humbly downplays the appeal of his music, which has a familiar, early 2000s aesthetic that sounds indebted to the spirit of Yo La Tengo and Broken Social Scene, as well as contemporaries like Alex G.

— Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Analysts suggest this may reflect that as the Fed gradually downplays forward guidance, market sensitivity to Fed wording—as well as the Fed's overall influence over markets—could be waning.

— , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of downplays

Verb

It's also supported by Nvidia's G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium, which also minimizes gameplay latency, ensuring responsive feedback.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026
The articles by Davidson and Craven in this sense exemplify a broader transphobic trend in the UK legacy media that minimizes or omits reference to the suffering of trans people.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of minimizes

Verb

If your team is afraid to name real weaknesses, or if leadership dismisses uncomfortable truths, the analysis won’t do what it’s meant to do.

— Nancy Padberg, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Risks, but not existential ones Not everyone dismisses the risk quite so bluntly, though.

— Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of dismisses

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“Soft-pedals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedals. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of soft-pedals

verb

noun

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