soft-pedal
Word forms: soft-pedals , soft-pedalling , soft-pedalled regional note: in AM, use soft-pedaling, soft-pedaled
verb [Also V + on]
If you soft-pedal something, you deliberately reduce the amount of activity or pressure that you have been using to get something done or seen.
He refused to soft-pedal an investigation into the scandal. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: play down, moderate, tone down, go easy [informal]
Image of soft-pedal
© Khunnoo, Shutterstock
- to make bank
- to make common cause with someone
- to make do
- to make easy work of sth
- to make ends meet
- to make eye contact
- to make friends
- to make fun of
- to make good time
- to make heavy weather of something
- to make heavy work of sth
- to make it
- to make light work of
- to make like sb
- to make like sth
- to make like sth/sb
- to make quick work of sth
- to make short/heavy/easy/quick work of sth
- to make short work of sth
- to make someone's blood boil
- to make someone's flesh creep
- to make sth clear
- to make the best of a bad job
- to make the best of sth
- to make time