1
as in coaxing
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 massaging
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-soaping
Verb
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But even without a rewards program, credit cards have a way of coaxing people to use them.—
Michael Waters,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025 -
After nearly a full minute of coaxing, the standoff ends.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Create some suspense and anticipation by going in slowly, starting with the head and just massaging it slightly with the tip of your tongue.—
Ian Kumamoto,
Them.,
10 Sep. 2025
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Certainly not once the front and rear heated seats and front massaging seats are powered on.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In fact, constantly praising your Gen Z employees can become impractical and downright exhausting.—
Colleen Batchelder,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The museum was beloved by locals, who left online reviews praising the staff's work and their warm welcome.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to the pages labeled as court exhibits, Priscilla rushed to her daughter’s bedside and was holding her hand, stroking her face, and telling her she was loved as family members gathered.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
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No one wants to follow an ego-stroking social media account with zero content value.—
Peter Boyd,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Instead, Murphy drafted a resolution commending the students’ efforts and shared it with them.—
Teri Cadeau,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Moments earlier, a video had played featuring many of her former teammates, San Diego FC head coach Mikey Varas, and her husband Servando Carrasco with their children, congratulating her on a storied career.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Sep. 2025
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Please join me in congratulating Michael on his new role.—
TIME PR,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While Nadella and the executive team are taking criticism from some staffers, Wall Street is applauding the company's growth and execution.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
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Their powerful performances prompted a 15-minute standing ovation, and the wrestler-turned-actor was seen tearfully applauding.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This all in spite of Johanne’s best efforts to present Johanna in the most radiant of lights, a fact Johanna deems as abusive more than flattering.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
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An Amazon reviewer raved about how soft and flattering the material of the dress is.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-soaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soaping. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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