soft-pedaling 1 of 2

noun

as in criticism

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Dissimilar Words

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
  • Carlson has faced criticism for interviewing Holocaust revisionist Darryl Cooper in 2024 and white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who has repeatedly denied the Holocaust, made antisemitic comments, and praised Adolf Hitler.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The statement came only after Thomas called out the commissioner, intensifying criticism that the league had been reactive throughout the controversy.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticism
Verb
  • Take Out As Much Risk As Possible Ultimately, scaling a local service business comes down to maximizing value while minimizing uncertainty.
    — David Cozzens, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Adopting strong, common-sense building codes for large buildings and minimizing cuts to energy efficiency should be a no-brainer to anyone seeking to follow Moore’s directive.
    — Tom Nyein, Baltimore Sun, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of minimizing
Noun
  • That’s why some of the least glamorous line items (identity, segmentation, logging, vendor control and data minimization) in a multi-year technology program determine how effective the rest of the spending was.
    — James Lindsey, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Federal trade regulators already urge clear prepurchase disclosures and data minimization for connected products.
    — Jihun Joun, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of minimization
Verb
  • In recent weeks, Mets fans have tried to rewrite history, downplaying his role as a leader, and Pete Alonso’s as well.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The complaint suggested that OpenAI’s defense will likely be to blame Van Rootselaar for their violent inputs, while downplaying ChatGPT’s outputs.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of downplaying
Noun
  • Videos also surfaced allegedly showing two teachers being attacked by students, provoking condemnation from the French president and officials as well as teaching unions.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Recent campaign filings by the Yes on Proposition 45 campaign revealed two donations that quickly drew condemnations from Democratic leaders.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of condemnation
Verb
  • Yet, our president is dismissing all of the concerns as a hoax.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Owner Jim Crane already enacted one by dismissing general manager Dana Brown in August.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of dismissing
Noun
  • Each nutty denunciation of his imaginary tormentors includes a plea for a presidential pardon.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The initiative comes amid criticism of Mamdani’s denunciations of Israel.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Soft-pedaling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soft-pedaling. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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