soft-pedals 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of soft-pedal
as in downplays
to reduce in apparent importance she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

soft pedals

2 of 2

noun

plural of soft pedal
as in quieters

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Example 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-pedals
Verb
This loud-and-proud version of Sonny certainly feels progressive, but in a different way it soft-pedals Sonny’s complications. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026 Heringer believes the city soft-pedals crime, pointing to metrics that show improvement but not where pockets of violent crime persist. — Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedals
  1. downplays
  2. minimizes
  3. dismisses
Verb
  • In her role as well as elsewhere, Kalle downplays the explicit homophobia that might have rendered this a more simplistic allegory, making Asla less a figure of interfering jealousy than a woman who simply doesn’t want to be abandoned yet again.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026
  • Miller also downplays concerns about competition with the Jaguar Type 01, highlighting the GT's greater versatility fcompared to Jaguar's more design-focused, less practical offering.
    — James Morris, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of downplays
Verb
  • Conduct yourself in a way that minimizes unnecessary harm to innocent people.
    — Jann Blackstone, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Why reward a debt collector if your agent can negotiate an agreement that minimizes your loss?
    — Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of minimizes
Verb
  • Rhaenyra also dismisses Mysaria, a wise move carried out in a very unwise manner, given the woman’s cunning.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • One automatically ascribes fraud to results that are often predictable, even routine; the other dismisses legitimate concerns as conspiracy theories.
    — Andrew E. Busch, The Conversation, 23 July 2026
Definition of dismisses

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Cite this Entry

“Soft-pedals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedals. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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