Soft-pedaling is a term used to describe a situation in which someone avoids taking a strong stance or making a bold statement. It is often used in politics and business, as well as in everyday life. The two crossword solutions for the term soft-pedals are 'damps' and 'mutes'. Damps refers to the act of reducing the intensity or force of something, while mutes means to silence or make something less audible. Both terms can be used to describe the concept of soft-pedaling.