as in to downplay
to reduce in apparent importance
she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of soft-pedal
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
The movie One of the darkest true stories on this list, An American Crime never undersells or soft-pedals the ceaseless agony of Likens’ ordeal.
—Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Popular on Variety Navarro doesn’t soft-pedal her disdain for recent remarks former President Donald Trump has made about immigrants eating dogs and cats — just one of the hot topics Phillip and a shifting ensemble of pundits, reporters and experts tackle each weeknight.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Sep. 2024
But Morrow’s quiet intensity, which doesn’t soft-pedal Isaac’s arrogance and belligerence, has a haunting quality.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
The flood of reports on Biden’s deterioration is another form of the same careerist impulse that led media outlets to soft-pedal his condition in the first place.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 3 July 2024
Louis-Dreyfus is wonderful in this, ready for anything, never soft-pedaling her character’s flaws or panic or fear.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2024
The playwright further soft-pedals the protagonist by mitigating his toxic views on eugenics that in Ibsen (no matter how problematic his own beliefs) point to some basic shortcomings in humanity.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
The controversy began with criticisms of some universities, Harvard included, for soft-pedaling their responses to the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and for then ignoring the overheated rhetoric of many pro-Palestinian protesters on campus.
—Stephen L. Carter, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024
David A. Teich, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
This is a two-part skill; his superb legato (or connected articulation) on the keyboard was heightened by skillful deployment of both the sustaining and the soft pedal.
—Marcus Overton, sandiegouniontribune.com, 8 Jan. 2018
Verb
Jean-Baptiste, her mouth set in a tight-lipped frown, her eyes ablaze with fear and loathing, soft-pedals nothing.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
The movie One of the darkest true stories on this list, An American Crime never undersells or soft-pedals the ceaseless agony of Likens’ ordeal.
—Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Popular on Variety Navarro doesn’t soft-pedal her disdain for recent remarks former President Donald Trump has made about immigrants eating dogs and cats — just one of the hot topics Phillip and a shifting ensemble of pundits, reporters and experts tackle each weeknight.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Sep. 2024
But Morrow’s quiet intensity, which doesn’t soft-pedal Isaac’s arrogance and belligerence, has a haunting quality.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024
The flood of reports on Biden’s deterioration is another form of the same careerist impulse that led media outlets to soft-pedal his condition in the first place.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 3 July 2024
Louis-Dreyfus is wonderful in this, ready for anything, never soft-pedaling her character’s flaws or panic or fear.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2024
The playwright further soft-pedals the protagonist by mitigating his toxic views on eugenics that in Ibsen (no matter how problematic his own beliefs) point to some basic shortcomings in humanity.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
The controversy began with criticisms of some universities, Harvard included, for soft-pedaling their responses to the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, and for then ignoring the overheated rhetoric of many pro-Palestinian protesters on campus.
—Stephen L. Carter, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024
Noun
Authors aimed at the business market tend to soft pedal AI, speaking only about the benefits while downplaying or outright ignoring the dangers.
—David A. Teich, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
This is a two-part skill; his superb legato (or connected articulation) on the keyboard was heightened by skillful deployment of both the sustaining and the soft pedal.
—Marcus Overton, sandiegouniontribune.com, 8 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedal
Verb
-
Insiders have been downplaying the likelihood of Newcastle being busy on the incoming front for months and the window has matched those expectations.Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
-
Climate change, which Trump has consistently downplayed and Newsom has sought to make a priority, is also seen as playing a role in the natural disaster playing out in Los Angeles.Julia Mueller, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Credit them with winning 10 games although losing three of their last four and blowing a chance to win the ACC championship and get into the playoff put a huge damper on the season.Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
-
While almost all the apartments sold for less than $1 million are co-ops (as condos cost more), the problems buyers perceive with that form of ownership remain a damper on their prices.Frederick Peters, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Patient recruitment, a common bottleneck, is significantly improved with AI, which analyzes eligibility criteria and patient demographics to quickly identify and assemble suitable participants, minimizing dropouts and delays.Ariel Katz, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
-
Through its Predictive Models that anticipate market trends, UME Tech empowers businesses to adopt effective strategies but minimize marketing expenses.Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
After accidentally starting a wildfire, 7-year-old Lu, mute and from an abusive home, slyly tricks Merribelle, a hardworking trans woman, into kidnapping her — sparking a beautifully unexpected bond with a devastating expiration date.Vulture, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2022
-
After accidentally starting a wildfire, 7-year-old Lu, mute and from an abusive home, slyly tricks Merribelle, a hardworking trans woman, into kidnapping her – sparking a beautifully unexpected bond with a devastating expiration date.Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Dec. 2022
Verb
-
To have the charge dismissed, a person must first plead guilty or no contest, agree to a treatment plan and then successfully complete that program.Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 13 Jan. 2025
-
She was dismissed in June 2024 after a run of seven games without a win.Asif Burhan, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There's even a new muffler that sounds a little raspy.New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2024
-
Inspired by the Ducati Desmosedici, there is a box-style muffler cleverly integrated into the rear fender, and the headers have been hand-sand-bent.New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2024
Articles Related to soft-pedal
Thesaurus Entries Near soft-pedal
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedal. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share