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soft line

American

noun

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

soft line British

noun

a moderate flexible attitude or policy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

soft-line adjective
soft-liner noun

Etymology

Origin of soft line

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

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

He hit Tony Kemp to start the inning, walked Ramon Laureano with one out, and Kemp scored when Sean Murphy hit a soft line drive into right field.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 1, 2022

That soft line has been an oft-repeated talking point of Taliban leaders in recent days.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2021

If you are careful and mind what you are about, you will have a soft line.

From Australia Revenged by Boomerang, pseud.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023