soft pedal. Something that de-emphasizes, restrains, or plays down, as in The mayor put a soft pedal on this potentially explosive situation. This expression alludes to the una corda or soft pedal of the piano, which reduces the volume of the sound.

What does soft pedal mean in literature?

soft-pedal something

to play something down; to de-emphasize something. (Alludes to the soft pedal on the piano, which reduces the volume.)

How do you use soft pedal in a sentence?

1. He refused to soft-pedal an investigation into the scandal. 2. The government has been soft-pedalling the question of teachers' pay.