as in to downplay
to reduce in apparent importance
she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people
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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
-
While city officials have downplayed characterizations by President Donald Trump and others that the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, had taken over the city, Chamberlain did assert Wednesday that its members controlled several parts of the complex.—
Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton,
The Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2025
-
That clearly has not happened, and lawsuits are pressing that idea further, leaving the White House desperately trying to downplay weeks of Musk’s spotlight-stealing efforts.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The suspension has been just as radically revised, with a wider track, a higher ride height, and the adoption of the interlinked dampers used on the Range Rover Sport SV.—
Charlie Roxburghe,
Robb Report,
18 Feb. 2025
-
To help deal with the extra ‘spirit’, Rolls-Royce has tweaked the dampers, increased the steering weight, and adjusted the roll stabilization.—
Matthew MacConnell,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Schedule your charges when electric rates are the lowest to minimize these costs.—
LEW SICHELMAN,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Packed with reflective pearls and blurring pigments, the tint aims to minimize color imperfections while hydrating and evening your skin tone.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
25 Feb. 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
-
Last month, federal prosecutors in Texas dismissed charges against a doctor accused of unlawfully sharing health records from a children's hospital there.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
18 Feb. 2025
-
However, Cave pushed back against the idea of fully dismissing an artist’s work due to their personal failings.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Located inside a Googie-style former muffler shop building at 4839 E. Colfax Ave.—
Jonathan Shikes,
The Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2025
-
That doesn’t mean a wildfire wasn’t possible; something as minor as the heat from a car muffler can spark a blaze where vegetation is dry.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to soft-pedal
Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedal. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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