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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Recent Examples of soft-pedals
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
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
-
San Diego economist Ray Major downplays the impacts of declining immigration, pointing out that the far more concerning issue is the continuing exodus of residents, who far outnumber those who are moving here.—
Lori Weisberg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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However, the show downplays the severity of the incident and most crucially the fact that a child was present and injured in the melee.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The administration minimizes the overall budgetary effect of its spending plans by projecting average growth in gross national product at 3% annually over the next decade.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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The action, whether intentional or not, reflects a harmful pattern that minimizes Black voices and their experiences.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The former Vista City Council candidate dismisses the advantage Democrats now hold.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Descovich dismisses the criticism.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedals. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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