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
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
Mann neither skimps on visceral excitement nor soft-pedals the horror, which makes Enzo’s indifference seem all the more maddening.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023
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
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
Mann neither skimps on visceral excitement nor soft-pedals the horror, which makes Enzo’s indifference seem all the more maddening.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023
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
-
Sara Kelly, Starbucks’ executive vice president and chief partner officer, downplayed the impact of the strikes in a public letter to employees late Monday.Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Dec. 2024
-
Perhaps most striking, 1 in 5 consistently downplayed their loneliness, often feeling the need to project an image of composure and control.Julian Hayes II, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Somehow, the firmer springs pair with the shock dampers to glue the car to the ground, providing a more stable platform that absorbs reverberations even better than the supposedly more comfortable Tour.Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
-
The Competition Package returned, leaving power the same as stock but enhancing handling through sharper dampers, a lower height, and a less-restrictive stability control system.Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
In the future, treatments will be customized to an individual’s DNA, maximizing medication efficacy and minimizing side effects.Elizabeth Kiehner, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
-
Local dining supports area farmers and minimizes the distance your food travels.AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 19 Dec. 2024
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
-
The family of another employee, Johnny Peterson, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the company and its owner, Gerald O’Connor, who said the workers were dismissed with enough time to escape.Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
-
Shostak dismisses the idea that people would panic, given that most Americans believe that aliens exist.Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
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
-
In addition to the ECU, other upgrades include a Steeda Autosports under-drive supercharger pulley, Borla long-tube headers, and a Ford Performance muffler.Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 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 2 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share