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
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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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The final arrangement is a mystery revealed only after it’s coaxed out of its mold.—
Megan Paetzhold,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 Apr. 2026 -
To understand what purpose these receptors might serve, Villar and his colleagues coaxed a pair of California two-spot octopuses to mate in the lab.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His appearance was a surprise even to his colleagues, who stood up and applauded enthusiastically as the audience whooped and hollered.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Attorney Alan Milstein, who led the antitrust litigation of former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett against the NFL’s eligibility rule, applauded the investigation.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For White Ribbon Day in 2024, Bournemouth were praised for their video campaign, which showed the journeys of a man and a woman home from the Vitality Stadium after dark.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Hall praised the department’s efforts this year under the leadership of Wayne Jones, who became the city’s first Black police chief in 2023.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Three current council members, including Hillary Shields, congratulated Lopez in brief remarks at his party.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated the police late Saturday for the arrest.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fire Chief Bob Grabowski commended DeJong’s contributions to the department in the village’s news release.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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Alex Souponetsky, general manager of Fly Legacy Aviation, commended Aytch’s handling of the emergency.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If previous records massaged her hedonism into silky, professional-grade pop, the sound on WOR$T GIRL is all sinew and scrap metal, a leaner and meaner vehicle for acting out.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
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The main specific risk is the potential for nodules or granulomas (small bumps) forming under the skin, especially if improperly placed or massaged.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Davidson, a 6-foot-1 freshman, stroked a perfect shot from the right side to send the Trojans (18-13) into a second-round matchup with top seed South Carolina on Monday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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One contestant in a Travis Kelce butt cut leaped over an ironing board; another held a tape measure to his crotch and stroked it.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The bot continually flattered her and prompted her to ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation going.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
8 Apr. 2026
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That afternoon, Bush saw the final draft of his boss’s words and was deeply flattered by them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 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 10 Apr. 2026.
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