soft-pedal

Verb

soft-pedal (third-person singular simple present soft-pedals, present participle (US) soft-pedaling or (UK) soft-pedalling, simple past and past participle (US) soft-pedaled or (UK) soft-pedalled)

1. (transitive) To reduce the volume of (music, a sound, etc.).
2. (figuratively, transitive) To reduce the force or impact of (something); to damp, to mute; especially, to minimize the less desirable aspects of (something); to play down, to tone down.
   • But when the first female also-ran at a convention merits such hoopla and hosannas, then it is harder for viewers to understand why the Democrats seem intent on soft-pedaling their presumptive nominee's arguably more remarkable breakthrough.2008 August 27, Alessandra Stanley, “Obama team soft-pedals a milestone in history”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31...

   Synonyms:

   de-emphasize, downplay

   Antonyms:

   emphasize, highlight, spotlight

3. (figuratively, transitive) To attempt to persuade someone about (something) through understatement, so that the listener accepts the good points as obvious.
4. (figuratively, intransitive) Chiefly followed by on: to act in a less assertive or forceful manner.