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]
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