soft-pedal

1 of 2

verb

soft-ped·​al ˈsȯf(t)-ˈpe-dᵊl 

soft-pedaled; soft-pedaling; soft-pedals

transitive verb

1

: play down, de-emphasize

soft-pedal the issue

2

: to use the soft pedal in playing

soft pedal

2 of 2

noun

1

: a foot pedal on a piano that reduces the volume of sound

2

: something that muffles, deadens, or reduces effect

Synonyms

Verb

• de-emphasize
• downplay
• play down

Examples of soft-pedal in a Sentence

Verb

she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people

Recent Examples on the Web

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

But at least Chalamet doesn’t try to soft pedal Dylan’s surliness and careerism, and his vocal re-creations are mostly spot on. —Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Feb. 2025

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

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for soft-pedal

• bipedal
• bedell
• heddle
• medal
• meddle
• pedal
• peddle
• wedel
• intermeddle