1
as in to coax
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 to honey
to praise too much
shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in butter
excessive praise
a salesman who knows the value of soft soap in making a sale
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of soft-soap
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 July 2024
Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2024
Most of the questions aimed at the ironic American director of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas were less softballs than soft soap, with reporters as interested in Scorsese’s favorite food — his mother’s lasagna recipe — as the movies in his peerless filmography.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Founder and creative director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning bandages to soft soap, as well as regular editorial content online.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2021
For spills or stains, spot cleaning with soft soap like Zero or Woolite.
—Rachel Klein, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2021
Founder and Creative Director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning Band-Aids to soft soap as well as regular editorial content online.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2021
Later, barber is seen crouching on his bed, holding lighted match under jam jar of water, soft soap and boot blacking.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 25 May 2020
Potassium hydroxide, on the other hand, produces an easily soluble soft soap.
—C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2018
Verb
So do her successes in soft-soaping some recalcitrant senators into supporting the mission’s funding.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 July 2024
Noun
People should wash any skin that comes into contact with the slurry with water and soft soap, before using a hand cream to avoid dryness and cracking.
—Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2024
Most of the questions aimed at the ironic American director of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas were less softballs than soft soap, with reporters as interested in Scorsese’s favorite food — his mother’s lasagna recipe — as the movies in his peerless filmography.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Feb. 2024
Founder and creative director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning bandages to soft soap, as well as regular editorial content online.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2021
For spills or stains, spot cleaning with soft soap like Zero or Woolite.
—Rachel Klein, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2021
Founder and Creative Director Joy Cho’s lifestyle brand offers whimsical products, spanning Band-Aids to soft soap as well as regular editorial content online.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2021
Later, barber is seen crouching on his bed, holding lighted match under jam jar of water, soft soap and boot blacking.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 25 May 2020
Potassium hydroxide, on the other hand, produces an easily soluble soft soap.
—C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-soap
Verb
-
Khan coaxed him back into the mix, firing general manager Trent Baalke to signal a complete organizational overhaul.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Collectively, these voices are coaxed by Cockerell, who has a keen ear and fine sense of timing, into becoming some of recent literature’s most compelling narrators.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Those harmonies — simultaneously honeyed and gravelly, providing just enough support without overshadowing, yet so powerful and full of potential — echoes Whitten.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
2 July 2024
-
Enjoy flavored nuts, such as those that are candied, glazed, or honied, in moderation.—
Selene Yeager,
Health,
24 Feb. 2024
Noun
-
The original recipe calls for cashew butter in the topping, but peanut butter or almond butter will work as well.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Look for paleta shakes, waffle bowls and burritos, vegan dark chocolate and cookie butter, as well as mango, passion fruit and more.—
Melissa Oyler,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Gently massage the oil mixture into the scalp using your fingertips.—
Carley Millhone,
Health,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Hair oils, such as jojoba, argan, and coconut, may be massaged into your hair once a week.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
From there, according to the report, the sweet talk quickly moves to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Google Chat or Telegram.—
Sunny Nagpaul,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2024
-
Just in case that gave Reba a leg up, don't let her sweet talk you.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2024
Verb
-
The White House commended the newspaper during one of its press briefings for making other changes to its newsroom in March.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Cantwell also threw her support to Isaacman commending both his business and space experience.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Hundreds of shoppers have added it to their carts in the past month alone, and it’s earned high praise from users who call out its comfortable, sturdy, and easy-to-assemble design in their reviews.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
2 May 2025
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Other rival evaluators heaped similar praise on the 19-year-old Lombard, the Yankees’ top prospect who has had a hot start at High-A Hudson Valley and could be in the major-league starting infield by next season.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
Know-nothings pretend that Schrader’s Bressonian mannerisms reveal the spiritual depths of contemporary crisis, when, in fact, Master Gardener repeats the same social-collapse paranoia that made secular reviewers overpraise the religious, racial, suicide-bomber topics of First Reformed.—
Armond White,
National Review,
24 May 2023
-
He’s overpraised of course.—
Nick Laird,
The New York Review of Books,
16 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Soft-soap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soap. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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