1
as in coaxed
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
she cunningly soft-soaped her parents into letting her go on the trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in applauded
to praise too much
shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-soaped
Verb
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These versatile evergreen shrubs have small, dense leaves that can be carved into sculptural shapes or coaxed into sophisticated hedges.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026 -
Sophomore reliever Mason Almazan coaxed a shallow fly out with a runner at third to end the game.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Was any draft decision of this team’s past quarter-century applauded more than Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert?—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The audience laughed and applauded.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wintour then praised her co-chair Lauren Sánchez Bezos, citing her energy and positive attitude.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
-
Last year, she was praised for her take on Site Santa Fe.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Verb
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After Biles qualified for her third Olympic Games, Owens congratulated his wife with a kiss while holding a cutout of her face.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
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Lush’s other co-founder, Mark Constantine, reviewed these lackluster bars and congratulated the pair on inventing something new(ish… solid was historically the norm in body and hair care up until plastic bottles took over).—
Kara McGrath,
Allure,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Parker also commended Sheridan and 101 Studios for their commitment and investment in Fort Worth.—
Brayden Garcia
May 4,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
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So yes, Marinakis must clearly be commended for spending big and showing ambition on and off the field, with plans to expand the City Ground to more than 50,000 seats, having already revamped the training ground.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Does all kale need to be massaged?—
Zoe Denenberg,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
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Davidson said four staff members massaged about two gallons of canola oil onto Elmer for seven hours while feeding him occasionally.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Freddie Freeman stroked a two-out RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning to put the Dodgers ahead 3-0.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
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Last weekend, after Petteys stroked three doubles in a victory over Creighton, the Bluejays showed her the ultimate respect, walking her four times, three intentionally, during the remainder of the series at Burrill Family Field, UConn taking two of three.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Lee Cronin was both flattered and frightened when Jason Blum suggested titling his The Mummy reimagining as Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
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So you’re always flattered when people just want to have a conversation.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-soaped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soaped. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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