as in criticism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soft-pedaling
Noun
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Since returning to office, Trump has directed his administration to act aggressively against foreign nationals who the Administration has alleged are undermining American interests, particularly in the context of criticism of Israel and campus protests against the war in Gaza.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
9 May 2025 -
Trump hasn't shied away from bashing Biden in speeches, online posts and executive orders, and the White House hasn't backed down in the face of the former president's criticisms.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
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
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And for an administration that has premised itself on efficiency, a never-ending loop of funding bait and switch does not exactly make for minimizing waste.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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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
Noun
-
Trump had longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden dismissed via email late on May 8, drawing broad condemnation from her supporters in Congress.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
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The move drew swift condemnation from NATO leaders, who viewed it as a concession to Russian aggression.—
Martha McHardy
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 May 2025
Verb
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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
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So lawmakers aren't dismissing Golden Dome out of hand.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This one is both meaner-spirited and clumsier, as Brooker grafts his prank call coming from inside the house onto a denunciation of one of the planet’s profoundest manmade evils: the health-care industry.—
Charles Bramesco,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
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The National Museum of African American History and Culture—which, until recently, was run by The New Yorker’s poetry editor, Kevin Young—comes in for particularly splenetic denunciation.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The trial committee recommended a private letter of censure and a bar on serving as a strike captain for three years.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2025
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Maine state representative Laurel Libby's lawsuit over her recent censure by the state legislature went to federal court on Friday for its first hearing in Rhode Island.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Oilers fans booed the American national anthem, and one woman used a lull to shout an invective about Mr. Trump.—
John Branch,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2025
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That decision, highly unusual in Japan, earned her some support from politicians, but a tide of abuse and invective on social media from people dismissing her claims.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 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 14 May. 2025.
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