For one, when we have to deliver negative feedback we often soft pedal to the point of being downright confusing.

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In this case, the Republican candidates clearly came in intending to soft pedal their views on immigration and tone down their rhetoric.

NPR: Republicans Reach Out to Latinos in Univision Debate

Piano keys each have three strings that, when struck by a felt-covered hammer, make a musical sound. (The exceptions are the bass keys, which have either two strings or one.) Pressing the soft pedal shifts the hammers so only two of the three strings are touched, giving the piano a much softer tone.

WSJ: When Two Makes Perfect | By Byron Janis

That sort of thing scares middle-class voters, no matter how energetically Mr Latham struggled to soft-pedal his own party's policies.

ECONOMIST: Australia

But they soft-pedal such discomforts.

NEWYORKER: State of the Union