soft line

American  

noun

1. a position or policy, as in politics, that is moderate and flexible.

---

soft line British  

noun

1. a moderate flexible attitude or policy

---

Other Word Forms

• soft-line adjective
• soft-liner noun

Etymology

Origin of soft line

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The revolutionary regime, desperate to survive, is taking a surprisingly soft line with today’s rebels.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

He dumped a soft line drive just inside the left-field foul line for a two-run double.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023

That helps to explain why the regime is so loath to take a soft line on the issue of dress codes.

From Washington Post • Sep. 24, 2022

Early in the game, Fernando came to bat and hit a soft line drive foul towards our seat on the loge level.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2019

Or see that care-worn face, from which every soft line is blotted,—those faded eyes, from which lonely tears have driven the flashes of fancy, the mild white beam of a tender enthusiasm.

From Woman in the Ninteenth Century and Kindred Papers Relating to the Sphere, Condition and Duties, of Woman. by Fuller, Margaret