1
as in coaxes
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 massages
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-soaps
Verb
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Amid these absurdities, Manuel coaxes out the cruelty of the resort’s hierarchies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026 -
After all, the way FanDuel coaxes a prediction customer onto its online sportsbook or icasino will look very different from Robinhood working to persuade a predictions trader to try trading equities.—
Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The center also has hydrotherapy chairs where athletes can lie as a jet of water, similar but much stronger than the jets in a jacuzzi, massages them.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Nov. 2025
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In a viral video shared on Instagram last Sunday under the username @whiskeytoller, the gray kitty can be seen hanging around his brother, Oakley, as his mom massages the injured area, doing his best to show his love and support.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Pidgeon praises Watts’ presence both on and off set.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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In another, the president praises the mother of his son Barron as one of the best moms he’s ever seen.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
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Michael Pollan 60 Minutes Pollan commends Kennedy for shining a light on ultraprocessed foods.—
Sarah Koch,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When Robbie first strokes the plush walls, her Cathy stares with the appropriate mix of awe and terror.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
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For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself.—
Kristine Hansen,
Architectural Digest,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But then the public address announcer congratulates Charlisse Leger-Walker for her four All-Pac-12 honors and her conference title with Washington State (which came at UCLA’s expense), and the whole ceremony starts to make less sense.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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The rep excuses herself; in the hallway, Stephen congratulates Lucy.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry applauds as silver medallist Heidi Weng of Norway, gold medallist Ebba Andersson of Sweden and bronze medallist Nadja Kaelin of Switzerland celebrate on the podium for the women's cross country 50km mass start final.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2026
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In that case, the enthusiasm with which one applauds may be emphatically lessened.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But The Bagel Nut Duo, chocolate croissants, yellow sheet cake, and a bag of Cacio e Pepe puffs to eat your feelings about yet another recall.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
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The crust puffs up nicely and isn’t as thin and cardboard-y as others, while the white cheese blend and wisp of rosemary remind me of a New York white pie slice.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-soaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soaps. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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