SOFT-PEDALED Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

soft-pedaled

verb

past tense of soft-pedal

as in downplayed

to reduce in apparent importance she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people

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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-pedaled In fact, several of the investigators believed the shooting was intentional, and that the Biden administration had actually soft-pedaled the investigation’s findings to appease Israel. — Scott Griffen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaled

Verb

Quincy Mayor Tom Koch is not backing down and has downplayed the religious meaning of the statues.

— Neal Riley, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
The Treasury Department has previously warned Chinese financial institutions that they could be sanctioned, but in public statements, top administration officials have downplayed China's role in the conflict.

— Chris Boccia, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of downplayed

Verb

The study assumed the investor was a buy-and-hold investor, which minimized sales and thereby reduced taxes on capital gains.

— Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
At a time when antisemitism is too often minimized, rationalized or repackaged in more socially acceptable language, this kind of moral clarity matters.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of minimized

Verb

Fedorov, a popular minister credited with modernizing Ukraine’s armed forces and accelerating the military’s embrace of technology and drone warfare, was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with the country’s top military commander.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Gonzalez Rogers initially dismissed the case, though the Supreme Court later took it up and ruled that consumers could sue the company.

— Jeffrey Kopp, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of dismissed

Verb

Our tactile and sensory life has been de-emphasized in favor of ideas, symbols, accomplishments, and abstractions.

— Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
The changes have included an overhaul of Google’s ubiquitous search engine that has de-emphasized a listing of relevant web links in its results and increasingly highlighted AI overviews and conversational responses provided through an AI mode.

— Michael Liedtke, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025

Definition of de-emphasized

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soft pedal

soft-pedaled

soft-pedaling

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“Soft-pedaled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaled. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of soft-pedaled

verb

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