soft-pedaled

verb

Definition of soft-pedalednext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaled
  1. downplayed
  2. minimized
  3. dismissed
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Lithuanian authorities downplayed the prospect of nefarious activity, insisting that no evidence pointing to sabotage had yet been uncovered.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
  • In a Meet the Press interview almost a decade later, Gingrich downplayed the official sanction.
    NBC News, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2024
Definition of downplayed
Verb
  • The location of the fire not far from the ocean also minimized space for the blaze to grow.
    Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Cinematographer Marius Panduru shoots the film with a fairly elementary, straightforward grammar, the lush environs of the Aegean sea minimized by what becomes a stately drama where shots feel more like coverage than thoughtful.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of minimized
Verb
  • In 2019, the child died and Stiles was charged with murder, but those charges were dismissed.
    Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 11 Dec. 2024
  • After nearly two years of legal wrangling, charges against Perry were dismissed by the state’s highest court.
    Andy Rose, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of dismissed
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near soft-pedaled

soft pedal

soft-pedaled

soft-pedaling

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Soft-pedaled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaled. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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