as in minimizing
to reduce in apparent importance
she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people
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as in criticism
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaling
Verb
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Once stationary, deactivate all lights except the hazard flashers, engage the emergency brake, and release the brake pedal to ensure your tail lights remain unlit, minimizing the chance of other drivers colliding with your stationary vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Mar. 2025 -
These kinds of films are already built on minimizing pain, not just for our hero but for all the characters.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Mayor Karen Bass’ office has also pledged to make moves to reduce red tape for film and TV projects in L.A. amid multiple criticisms about the difficulties and expenses of planning shoots.—
Erik Hayden,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Local activists have increased criticism of the Falcon 9 landing agreement since then, which remains under review.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Too often, boards respond by downplaying concerns, offering vague explanations, or shifting blame elsewhere.—
Committee of 200,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Abandoning Ukraine and Europe and downplaying the Middle East to prioritize the Indo-Pacific is not a clever geopolitical chess move.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Most importantly, the proposal provides that, when discovery items are turned over belatedly, judges can impose consequences that stop short of dismissing the whole case, if a lesser remedy can ensure fairness to the defendant.—
Jane Manning,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Just a few days later, the Israeli government effectively began the process of dismissing Gali Baharav-Miara, Israel’s attorney general.—
Aaron Boxerman,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The opera house amendment was met with fierce condemnation from Trump critics, including Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy’s 32-year-old grandson.—
Judy Kurtz,
The Hill,
28 July 2025
-
An attack against a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo over the weekend that killed nearly 50 civilians drew condemnation from global leaders.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 July 2025
Noun
-
Her sudden exit comes a day after xAI, Musk's artificial intelligence startup that has been merged with X, went on an antisemitic diatribe and praised Hitler, prompting widespread denunciation.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
9 July 2025
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But there was also something distorted about the ritual denunciations of Trump, which inevitably invoked the specter of white colonialism.—
Jonathan Zimmerman,
New York Daily News,
16 July 2025
Noun
-
Later that month, Ramirez-Rosa avoided a historic censure thanks to Johnson’s tie-breaker vote, but not before the episode cast open bitter divisions within the body along racial lines.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
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Blain said in the statement that the independent investigative report — and the censure vote — were not objective inquiries, but the result of politics.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 July 2025
Noun
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The actor also has been involved in occurrences of being verbal and physically aggressive, hurling racists invectives, as well as being out and out violent on a number of occasions.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
22 July 2025
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After nights of clashes, then-President Donald Trump, known for issuing directives and invectives through social media, fired off a series of posts shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday, May 29, 2020.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Soft-pedaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaling. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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