tv. to play something down; to de-emphasize something. (Refers to the soft pedal on the piano.)
Try to soft pedal the problems we have with the cooling system.I won't soft pedal anything. Everyone must know the truth.
soft-pedal (something)
To dampen, diminish, or downplay the importance or impact of something. An allusion to the dampening effects of a piano's soft pedal. You really need to soft-pedal your rhetoric if you want to win over enough mainstream voters to get re-elected.The university has been soft-pedaling its association with the controversial activist in recent months.
soft pedal something
tv. to play something down; to de-emphasize something. (Refers to the soft pedal on the piano.) Try to soft pedal the problems we have with the cooling system.