soak up

phrasal verb

soaked up; soaking up; soaks up

1

: to take in (liquid) : absorb

The rag soaked up most of the water.

2

: to enjoy feeling or experiencing (something pleasant) in usually a slow or relaxed way

We went to the beach and soaked up the sun/sunshine all afternoon.

I sat at my table for an hour soaking up the atmosphere of the café.

The performers stood on the stage, soaking up the applause.

3

: to learn and remember (something) quickly

He eagerly soaked up every word she said.

She has an ability to soak up new information very quickly.

4

: to use a large amount of (money, supplies, etc.)

This project is soaking up resources that could be used elsewhere.

Examples of soak up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Serve with Buttered Noodles or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. —Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025

Carbonara When the pasta is tossed with the eggy cheese sauce, the noodles quickly soak up every drop. —Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025

The new mom says that capturing the photos every month gave her and her husband a chance to take a pause and soak up the small moments. —Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025

China doesn’t just have the ability to soak up punishment from the US in the form of tariffs and sanctions — the culmination of decades of Chinese industrial policy aimed at self-reliance in core technologies. —semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for soak up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup