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
-
Munetaka Murakami coaxed a leadoff walk from Lugo.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026 -
The news was especially unexpected after the streamer coaxed a reluctant Sarah Michelle Gellar to bring back her original Buffy character and shot a $12 million pilot, directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao, that introduced a new generation of Sunnydale High School characters.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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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All of those Democratic contenders had quickly called on Swalwell to quit the race and praised the women who came forward.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Before Mamdani spoke, the crowd heard from a city transportation department staffer to hear about Mamdani’s pothole filling blitz; a tenant organizer who praised the mayor’s focus on renters; and a mother who boosted his push to expand child care programs in the city.—
Anthony Izaguirre,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Board member Ann Maine congratulated Aitchison after the meeting.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The morning show host congratulated Sophia and Isabella — who went to different high schools — on their accomplishments with individual social media posts.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite how difficult sitting through the case was, the jurors commended Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez for her fairness — and lead prosecutor Abbe Rifkin for fighting so hard for Quatisha.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
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At a news conference after the hearing, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney apologized to the families of the victims and commended the authorities who ultimately caught Heuermann.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
8 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
-
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
-
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 17 Apr. 2026.
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