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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

soft pedals

2 of 2

noun

plural of soft pedal

as in quieters

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Example Sentences

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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

Ezelle, however, downplays his role in advising DBGI.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 12 May 2026
Happily, in his aptly peculiar film, docmaker Xander Robin downplays the boredom in favor of the adrenalin, and even more compellingly, of the Challenge’s diverse but uniformly eccentric sociological makeup.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 May 2026