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What is "soft-pedal"

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
soft-pedal
verb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ The studios soft-pedal the rivalry between their animation departments.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
soft-pedal

"to tone down," 1915, figurative use from the noun (1856) in reference to the left foot-lever of a piano, which makes it quieter among other effects; from soft (adj.) + pedal (n.).

Wiktionary
soft-pedal

vb. 1 To attempt to persuade without being obvious about it, by understate a position so the listener takes the good points as obvious. 2 To tone down, damp, mute or obscure something; to proceed in a less forceful, circumspect or subdued manner.

WordNet
soft-pedal

  1. v. play down or obscure; "His advisers soft-pedaled the president's blunder"

  2. [also: soft-pedalling, soft-pedalled]

Usage examples of "soft-pedal".

Hitherto, the newspapers had soft-pedaled mention of the club in connection with the deaths of Orvill and Laverock, and the mystery of the missing murderer, Secane.

Hebert for dechristianization, even though the latter had tactically decided to soft-pedal the cause for a while.

The antisemitic motif is very strong, though usually soft-pedalled in print.

We told them all the victims were Negroes and promised them passes to the Chavez Ravine evictions if they soft-pedaled the story.