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
-
Langford had the equalizer in the bottom frame, coaxing a walk, which preceded an Emma Rodwell single.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026 -
Like a dinner host coaxing guests to try unfamiliar fare, Bronin invited the town committee members to step away from Larson without guilt.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officials will spend months trimming, adding to and massaging the financial books to address residents’ priorities.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The easy-to-use roller design features a cooling metal applicator that gently glides across the neck's contours, massaging the lightweight formula into skin without pulling or tugging skin.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In some cases, parents may even unintentionally reinforce the behavior by praising physical changes without understanding how they were achieved.—
Grace Baek,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The rapper previously shared rhetoric widely deemed as antisemitic on social media, used a 2025 Super Bowl ad to redirect viewers to a website selling a $20 swastika T-shirt, and dropped a song praising Adolf Hitler.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
-
She was later reunited with her dog, stroking him in stunned silence before being taken to the hospital.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After the hearing, Gorman’s family released a statement commending the judge for detaining Medina.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Bhattacharya has visited the Atlanta campus, sent emails commending the CDC staff and thanking them for their work, and extended telework accommodations in his first weeks on the job.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Please join me in congratulating Allie on her new endeavor.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Season 6 Love Island USA star Serena Page, Chloe Bailey and JT were among those congratulating her on social media.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Others praised troopers for stepping in to help, applauding authorities for rescuing the vulnerable cub and ensuring it was placed in proper care.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
At 0-2, Nimmo had started applauding and offering loud encouragement from the Rangers dugout.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ben spends the afternoon buttering up Ellie and praising her cake-icing skills, and even gives her the task of decorating the wedding cake.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The preview for The Muppet Show reveals special guest Sabrina Carpenter buttering up Miss Piggy backstage.—
Ashley Iasimone,
Billboard,
3 Sep. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Soft-soaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soaping. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
