1
as in coaxing
to get (someone) to do something by gentle urging, special attention, or flattery
she cunningly soft-soaped her parents into letting her go on the trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in massaging
to praise too much
shrewd voters who know when a politician is trying to soft-soap them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-soaping
Verb
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What good is a data-sharing collaboration where no one (at least without coaxing) wants to share data?—
Dhiraj Bhat,
Forbes,
19 Dec. 2024 -
Tech companies are slowly but surely coaxing filmmakers into tinkering with their AI tools.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman has announced an internal investigation into a November police shooting that killed a mother and her baby, while applauding the officer who fired the fatal bullets.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2025
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Some Jewish groups are applauding the effort.—
Jeff Zeman,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In the hours, even days, after the best Royals season in a decade, an array of flattering messages flooded the phone of manager Matt Quatraro.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
23 Mar. 2025
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Other Amazon shoppers are taking note, too, because the dress has an impressive 6,000 perfect ratings and 1,200 five-star reviews, with teachers and wedding guests alike sharing how comfy and flattering the dress is to wear to almost any occasion.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-soaping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-soaping. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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