soft-pedaling 1 of 2

noun

as in criticism

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soft-pedaling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of soft-pedal
as in minimizing
to reduce in apparent importance she politely tries to soft-pedal her accomplishments when talking to less fortunate people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of soft-pedaling
Verb
Whatever your preconceived notions about Feldman are, Hume’s film will expand and challenge them; the movie’s greatness lies in its ability to capture all of Feldman’s contradictions and self-destructiveness, empathizing with him without soft-pedaling his sins. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026 Nothing grates quite like those slick pharmaceutical ads blaring across the TV, promising quick fixes while soft-pedaling potential side effects. — Alex Ward, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaling
  1. criticism
  2. minimizing
  3. minimization
  4. downplaying
  5. condemnation
  6. dismissing
  7. denunciation
  8. denouncement
Noun
  • But the lobbyist has doubled down on her criticism of McCuskey in a recent letter to Illinois’ four top legislative leaders and obtained by the Tribune.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The sharpest criticism of the deal came from Venezuelan opposition figures, who argue that a caretaker administration installed after a foreign military operation has no standing to sign away a century of oil rights.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of criticism
Verb
  • What makes a roster a championship roster is scheming by accentuating the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The yearlong closure allowed the park district to address multiple infrastructure needs at once, minimizing the disruption that would have resulted from completing the work over several seasons, according to officials.
    — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of minimizing
Noun
  • That's an incredible minimization of what Cunningham actually faced.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
  • The minimization regimen is also effective at lightening the price tag, cutting an even $11K off the base price as compared to the Bambi 16RB.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 July 2026
Definition of minimization
Verb
  • Much like Big Tobacco was forced to admit that cigarettes can cause cancer or Purdue Pharma was forced to stop downplaying the risks of OxyContin, this agreement now puts Meta’s core products in a negative light.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • One of Gates’ most striking claims, though, is that tech leaders are knowingly downplaying AI’s risks because of the money involved.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of downplaying
Noun
  • El-Sayed put distance between himself and Piker on Wednesday following intraparty condemnation of Piker’s comments on American Jews.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • If an agreement was not reached outside of court, the city filed for condemnation.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of condemnation
Verb
  • William Roberson Anyone dismissing the Slingshot (in any form) on practicality grounds is missing the point by a light year or two - the Slingshot makes a Miata seem like a spacious minivan.
    — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him.
    — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of dismissing
Noun
  • Iran launched a drone attack against Azerbaijan early in the war, triggering harsh denunciations and speculation that Azerbaijan could enter the war.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The truth is that, despite the 2019 Business Roundtable denunciation of MSV, the pendulum never fully swung away from MSV.
    — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of denunciation
Noun
  • Following Rourke’s denouncement of the GoFundMe effort, Hines told fans that if Rourke didn’t want the money, donors would be reimbursed.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2026
  • In coordination with former President Franklin Roosevelt’s public denouncement of discrimination of Black Americans, Plato, president of the Plato Construction Company, was contracted to build 88 houses on the site of Camp Taylor, the former military installation in southwest Louisville.
    — Steve Wiser, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Nov. 2025
Definition of denouncement

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Soft-pedaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaling. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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